The Reason Why
by anime gher
Summary: NarutoSasukecentric with other pairings. Sasuke has a lot to deal with, and nothing is harder than realizing you're in love. But, the same goes for everyone else...
1. When his sight goes red again

Disclaimer: Naruto and other characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi, 

            and there's some iffy things to watch out for, like violence and torture and          rape     (and if you weren't expecting it… well… come _on_, it's a fan fic by me!). Except     for once, it's not crude language! Consider this fair warning, please? 

            "Daaaaaaa! Why do _I_ have to do this stupid training? Can't we do something more exciting? My powerful skills are being wasted!" Naruto yelled as he stopped walking forward and whined loudly when he should have had the sense to stay silent. Sasuke didn't want to have to deal with such an utter idiot. Going through one of the Forbidden Areas was not 'stupid training.' They couldn't have been in the dark, overgrown forest for over five minutes since Kakashi had opened the large lock on the heavily sealed gate. Kakashi announced they had two days to get to the only other gate on the other side of the high-fenced ninja death trap, and Naruto was already bored. 

            Sasuke didn't pay attention to Naruto or even acknowledge the fact the pathetic showoff was even alive. He had better things to look out for, like the explosive and usually fatal traps Forbidden Areas were known for. Here, the trees were easily three times what normal ones should look like, with huge bushes and other dense growth that made simple travel a pain. Sasuke didn't even want to think about the animals that Naruto was attracting with all of his yelling. Fresh meat made a lot of noise, and Sasuke found himself not caring if Naruto was eaten or not…. Except Kakashi might fail him on this mission if only two came back alive. 

            "Naruto! Shut up! Are you _trying_ to get every animal in the whole place's attention?" Sakura yelled, even louder than the idiot she was berating with one pointed finger. Sakura was always the first to get upset at Naruto, but it was more because she knew Sasuke didn't like the ramen-crazed and seemingly deaf third member of their team than anything personal. Naruto froze in the middle of his new complaint with his mouth open in a little 'o' before his face fell in open hurt with a red blush over his cheeks. The idiot should feel embarrassed for acting like some second-rate Genin from the Cloud Village. Sasuke had better things to do with his time than spend two full days and nights with people who couldn't even keep their tempers. 

            "Be quiet. We should start moving quickly as possible to get to the other side. We should be able to make it before nightfall," Sasuke assessed, calculating how big Kakashi said the Area was, how fast Sakura would travel since she was the slowest, and the time of day it was when they had first entered the giant forest since the bizarrely huge trees and foliage blocked out the sun. If he was careful enough and they avoided most of the booby traps and predators in the Forbidden area, Sasuke could be home and back to his usual training by the end of the day. That was, if he didn't have Sakura and Naruto to look out for. They were bound to fall into every trap in the whole forest and Sasuke was no doubt going to have to rescue both of them more than once. Kakashi had made a point that they were supposed to accomplish this mission together, since the older ninja teacher knew Sasuke would leave Sakura and Naruto behind without a second thought. 

            "C'heh." Naruto spat, his eyes narrowing as the idiot crossed his arms and spread his feet apart, looking confident for no reason. "Of course a genius like you would come up with a plan," Naruto sneered in an insulting tone for whatever reason. It would be easier to knock the stupid kid out and carry him the whole way than deal with Naruto's questioning, whining, complaining, all around uselessness, and attitude that was based on nothing. At least Sakura always agreed with him. 

            "Na. Ru. To." Sakura growled out dangerously, one fist shaking with rage. Sasuke sighed as the pink-haired temperamental girl punched Naruto hard on the top of his wild, ugly blonde head. Sasuke rarely had to say anything to the idiot because Sakura would already be dealing out punishment. She could be really frightening at times, and Sasuke couldn't figure out why she was still so persistently in love with him. He thought he had been clear enough by turning Sakura down every time she got the courage to finally try asking him out. Sasuke didn't need anyone's love, especially not some idiot girl that didn't know the first thing about him. 

            "Ow, Sakura­, that _hurts_!" Naruto whined, crouched down on the soft, wet green forest floor as he clutched at the smoldering lump forming on his head. Sasuke sighed in frustration, wanting very badly to put his throwing stars to use and practice on a moving target like Naruto. Sakura just stomped on Naruto's head for good measure, yelling about how Sasuke had been the top of the class, how he was the highest skilled Genin in years, and that Naruto was a loser who didn't even graduate his first time. 

            "Then learn from it and stop saying such stupid things!" Sakura snapped, in a rare temper today. She was probably angry that they would be stuck outside with no clean clothes or baths. Sasuke hated girls and their need to be fresh and preened everyday. He didn't understand their infatuation with him. He had thought it was plain as day that he wanted to be alone. Sasuke only had one goal in life, and he didn't need some childhood romance to hinder him. 

            _Something. Sasuke felt the presence behind him before he even knew why the hairs on the back of his neck stood up straight. He launched forward with a small bit of chakra focused out of his feet to help avoid whatever it was. Sakura and Naruto didn't even notice with the girl concentrating on slapping the top of Naruto's head a blistering red. Sasuke twisted and stopped so hard his sandals dug into the wet mulch growing in the small clearing with a kunai delicately hanging from his fingertips. _

            A spider landed where Sasuke had been standing only a seconds ago, which wouldn't have been too bad if the thing wasn't as big as a large dog. Dozens of horrid red, fractured insect's eyes dominated the creature's head with two large incisors for a mouth. The eight legs were sharp and pointed with the color of steel. One large whorl of a red seal covered the black bulbous body and Sasuke knew in an instant that it was one of the specially mutated animals made just for this Forbidden Area alone. 

            Sakura stopped beating on Naruto to point at the monster spider and scream in the loudest voice Sasuke had ever heard her use before. The high pitch made the spider shudder and rotate on the thin legs that resembled knives till it faced her, forgetting Sasuke and turning on this new prey. The two only stared back blankly at the spider, as if it was nothing more than a house cat. 

            _Idiots, the both of them! Sasuke cursed as the spider scuttled forward much faster than he would have expected for something that big. It moved faster than an eight-legged animal should, sweeping forward before Sasuke even had a chance to yell out a warning to Sakura. Sasuke ran for Sakura as she only screamed, even more terrified now that the giant spider was coming at her. He had forgotten that Sakura hated insects and a huge spider was more than a girl could handle. Sasuke hated women. It was too much work to have to keep these two idiots alive. _

            "Sakura!" Naruto yelled before shoving her roughly in the shoulder as the spider rushed for her. Sakura fell heavily to the side as Naruto reached behind his back to draw his weapon. Sasuke blinked, more than a little bit surprised that the coward had actually done the smart thing and gotten her out of the way. Naruto had his shuriken out as the spider leapt up to attack a new juicy little target. The shuriken went flying and the monster suddenly shot out a long, thin white strand from its rear. The thread caught easily in the lush forest and avoided the attack entirely. 

            Sasuke was not so lucky with over half of Naruto's shuriken flying at his face. The idiot hadn't even _noticed_ him behind the spider as he jumped with another burst of chakra to avoid the stars that thudded into the ground underneath him. On second thought, Naruto probably _had noticed Sasuke and thrown anyways. There was no love lost between them. Sasuke was disappointed in this spider for not snapping Naruto's head off. If _only _Kakashi hadn't demanded the team stays alive. _

            Well, he wasn't about to let this spider escape into the heavy vines and brush growing on the huge branches of the trees so easily. Sasuke didn't let anything get away once it dared to attack his team, even if they were worthless. It was only a sense of pride at being the best that made Sasuke reach beneath his shirt for the hidden pack of needles strapped around his waist. He had learned to bring every single weapon to his name to the daily check-ins with Kakashi because the teacher seemed to love assigning them hard survival training missions with only five minutes notice. Sasuke's arsenal had more than enough weapons for three more ninjas, but the basic equipment would be good enough for this thing.

            The senbon went flying like silver rain, all ten fine needles stabbing into the large seal on the back of the spider before it could climb the rope it had made and escape into safety. Sasuke landed easily on both feet while the creature fell on its back with a sickening wet crunch. He could tell it was dead from this distance, feeling the sense of threat disappear like smoke. Naruto was frozen with his mouth open and his kunai lying carelessly on the ground. The blonde had probably dropped it when he realized there was going to be no chance to show off. Sakura laughed weakly in relief and stood up from where Naruto had pushed her with her knees visibly shaking even now. 

            _Idiots. _

"The blood's going to attract other animals. We shouldn't rest until we get to the other gate," Sasuke ordered, guessing that the threat of more handcrafted ninja monsters would get the two to start moving. Sakura nodded, still too shaken up to speak yet. Sasuke didn't know why she continued to be a ninja if she was going to be so shocked over little things like this. 

            "Sasuke! What are you doing, getting in the way like that? That stupid spider was mine," Naruto yelled angrily as he stomped one foot on the ground, throwing a fit like the child he was. Sasuke rolled his eyes, not about to dignify that with a response when Naruto had let the spider escape into the trees. _He had brought it down, and there was no way to argue that. Besides, turning his back to Naruto and walking away had more of an effect than any words could. _

            "_You pushed me, Naruto!" Sakura yelled, easily diverting the stupid kid from trying to say more to Sasuke's back. He didn't even bother to listen to whatever else Sakura started to yell at Naruto, knowing it would be nothing more than the nonsense that those two idiots usually talked about. He lazily walked over to the dead spider with its legs curled up on its stomach like a ridiculous crab. This close, it looked even worse with old crusted blood from other unfortunate prey on the legs and pincher mouth. Well, at least Sasuke's guess that the spider was carnivorous was correct. _

            Sasuke kicked it with the bottom of his sandal to roll it so that the back was up. Looking down at the hairy body, he saw that senbon had become even further imbedded even more deeply from the fall. He tisked but pulled out the first needle with his fingers, a slick resistance making the grip hard. Sasuke managed to pull it out and wipe the needle off on the moss-covered ground, the blood a thick brown jelly. The tip of his fingers started to tingle as the small smear of spider blood made the grass turn brown. 

            Of course its blood _would_ be poisonous. Sasuke dropped the needle in disgust and started to wipe his hand off on the moss to make sure he didn't leave enough poison on his skin to be affected. Ten senbon wasted. Great, absolutely great. If Sasuke didn't like this mission before, he despised it now. The things were starting to get expensive these days with that shitty old man who ran the weapon store by Sasuke's house driving up the prices. He was going to have to start walking to the other end of town to get them.

            "Sasuke? Are you all right?" Sakura's voice inquired deceptively softly from behind when she had been beating the crap out of Naruto only seconds ago. And earlier then that she had been frozen stiff because of something as simple as a giant spider. It only made Sasuke all the more eager to become a Jounin and get the hell out of this joke of a ninja team. At least he might finally be able to work with some competent people then.

            "I'm fine," Sasuke returned coldly, not wanting to invite any further conversation. He had to be more careful now about what weapons he could choose to use now that he knew the creature's blood would corrode any metal. Sasuke pressed the pad of his thumb against the tip of one of the spider's wicked looking legs experimentally. Sure enough, the metallic looking legs were as sharp as a razor blade, far sharper than Sasuke had expected. Sasuke put his mouth over the sharp, clean red cut that was starting to bleed furiously with a frown. Taijutsu was out of the question when Sasuke thought about the speed of the creature coupled with eight knives for its limbs. He'd have to figure out some way to kill these things without wasting any more of his weapons, though Sasuke was confident he had more than enough to kill at least half of the creatures the Forbidden Area had to offer. 

            "Hey, Sasuke, aren't we supposed to be going to the gate?" Naruto growled with his eyes squinted so far that they were near closed as he stepped forward. It was one foot too far into his personal space, even if Naruto was more than a stone's throw away. He looked away from the idiot in disgust and back to the dead spider with a belly full of his precious needles. Sasuke supposed killing Naruto now wouldn't be a waste. He'd even be able to reuse the blade once he cleaned off the blood. 

            "I was waiting for you two to gain back some wits," Sasuke snapped back. "Did you _want to get me killed?" Naruto choked on whatever line he had been about to say, an easily recognizably guilty expression spreading across the scarred face. He __had been trying to kill Sasuke along with the spider. He had underestimated how clever Naruto could be sometimes, easily forgetting when the younger boy was a complete mess-up the rest of the time. _

            "I'm okay, now. I was just surprised," Sakura laughed easily, but Sasuke could tell underneath the seemingly polite exterior was a rage brewing. As well it should since she hadn't been able to handle herself, yet _again. Sakura calmly smoothed her long hair back into some semblance of style with a sniff. The furrow forming between her two eyebrows showed the frustration that she felt for failing yet again. He knew Sakura wanted to take care of herself, but she just simply didn't have the skills. It was more reason for her to quit being a ninja before someone was really hurt. He wasn't going to save her every single time. Today it was only because Kakashi had made it a requirement. _

            "All right! Then, let's go," Naruto bellowed out, all of the anger gone in a moment at the thought of something else to do. Naruto was always easily distracted like that, already trotting on ahead through the small navigable path through the roots of the huge trees. Sasuke looked down at the spider one last time, still upset over the waste and unable to figure out a better way. There was no use in studying the dead body for a weak spot when Naruto was wandering ahead. He was more than likely to run headfirst into something worse than a spider. 

            Sasuke felt a set of eyes upon him and glanced up from trying to tell which of the nine senbon in the spider had been the most successful with his usual hard glare. Sakura blushed and looked away before thinking twice and running after Naruto at full speed instead. Sasuke resisted the urge to leave them then and there and tell Kakashi the two had run out on him. It would only be a little flexing of the truth, and that was another skill a ninja needed to survive. 

            "Sasuke!" Naruto's roar cut through the forest although he was out of sight. With a silent curse, he stood up from the dead spider and started to walk slowly down the same path Sakura had taken earlier. Sasuke would admit to not paying attention to where Naruto had walked off to. He wasn't as far behind as he wished though, because within moments Sasuke was back in sight of their backs, tall vegetation lacing them in as Sakura and Naruto strolled in front of him like they were off to a picnic. 

            They were both utterly hopeless. Sakura was pretending like nothing had happened as she talked with Naruto about something that Ino girl had done lately. Naruto nodded, completely absorbed with Sakura as Sasuke dragged his feet even more, not wanting to get within earshot of such a stupid conversation. They weren't paying the slightest amount of attention to their surroundings or the sounds of the forest. Neither of them was even considering how they might defend better if more spiders came. Shinobi were to be prepared for anything, and it was absolutely out of the question to be taken by the same trick twice. 

            Sasuke jammed his hands in the pockets of his shorts, preferring to think back on that monster corpse he'd left behind than listen to Sakura gossip. Sasuke didn't want to waste any of his Exploding Notes in case a bigger and _specially enhanced creature came along. The eyes would likely be a good place to aim, enough to maim the spider significantly. It still wasn't a fatal hit, though the stomach had been soft and wide open, just like the spider's whole main body, but Sasuke wasn't exactly sure where the main organs were inside._

            Sakura paused in the middle of whatever nonsense she had been babbling about and glanced back at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye. Did she really think that he didn't notice all the times she tried to sneak a look at him? Sasuke was always being looked at, so he was quite competent at catching people in the act. Though it was faint, a blush spread on Sakura's cheeks before she faced forward again. Naruto looked back at him over his shoulder with suspicious and jealous eyes, as though Sasuke actually wanted the attention. 

            "Really, why does Kakashi-sensei make us do all these training mission?" Sakura moaned, an even better whiner than Naruto when it came down to it. Long pink hair swayed between her shoulders with each step Sakura took, soft and just as shiny looking as his mother's _had _been. The memory always made his throat clench for a moment and Sasuke tisked, looking up to study the canopy of the forest. He needed to scout the general layout of the Forbidden Area in case there was an unexpected attack. He blocked out Sakura's irritatingly simple complaints and Naruto's love-stricken agreement to whatever she said. 

            Any special technique that he could use to kill the spiders would more than likely end up being a complete waste of chakra. Perhaps he could cut some branches and make a weapon that way. It was crude, but it wouldn't cost Sasuke a single penny. He absently kicked at a rock that was in the path, wondering what else could work as Naruto and Sakura chattered away. They didn't care that there was no path or visible trail, continuing down the way as though it was a nature hike in a northern direction, though Sasuke doubted they meant to head toward the gate. He wouldn't give them so much credit for knowing where the second gate was. 

            "Iruka's gonna treat me to ramen when I get back. You should come, Sakura," Naruto's voice begged, managing to punch through Sasuke's concentration as though it was wet paper. Naruto had a special way to get under Sasuke's skin quicker than anyone had ever done before. It was like finding the most irritating little brother that he had never known about, nor wanted. If Naruto had a small, meager amount of skill Sasuke would have been able to stand the hyper-active blonde

            "Never," Sakura answered back flippantly before Naruto could even pretend the slightest second of silence meant agreement. Naruto stopped in the middle of the path as Sakura continued on with a flip of her long hair over her shoulder. Sasuke drew up along side of Naruto and studied his crushed expression, finding a bit of satisfaction now that the idiot had been denied yet again. Sakura had done exactly the same thing that Sasuke had done it earlier when she had asked him about eating alone. As much as Sasuke hated to admit it, the three of them only did things as a complete group or not at all. Unless Kakashi had ordered it.

            "Why?" Naruto whispered, his eyes hidden under the shadow of the forehead protector as he leaned forward. Sasuke glanced down, noticing the two tight fists Naruto was uselessly making at his sides. The idiot took things too seriously, especially when he should have known better than to expect anything more. Naruto acted surprised every time Sakura turned him down, like he had forgotten how things went the last time before. 

            "Idiot," Sasuke grumbled as he started to walk past Naruto, figuring that it would serve as an answer. He hadn't meant it as an insult, but an assessment of the situation. Sakura had finally noticed that the two of them were still not walking and stopped several paces ahead, turning around with one loose fist on her hip in impatience. Sasuke tried not to yell at her for looking frustrated with them, because Sakura and Naruto had almost been spider food if not for him. 

            "Sasuke! I'll show you," Naruto promised, though it didn't come across as the great insult Naruto meant it to be. Sasuke didn't even glance back as he started walking forward to meet Sakura. He didn't have time to listen to a dog bark. They had two days to complete this mission, and the most dangerous part of it was that Sasuke might kill Naruto before the first night. He heard Naruto stomp behind him, and than a deceptively quiet cracking noise. 

            "Naruto, _don't_ move," Sasuke ordered coldly, looking down at his sandals. Sure enough, he could see the excellently hidden edge of this trap, a large circle that went across the small space between the giant trees they had been moving through. Sasuke noticed now that underneath the covering of dried leaves and green moss, hundreds of makibishi were glinting dully on the ground. There were so many tossed about it was amazing their feet weren't torn to shreds. Thankfully, the growing forest had helped covered the ground and the sharp tips of the makibishi. 

            Sakura blinked at them innocently from safely on top of a large tree root in the way. He could see a small break in the spikes covering the ground as Naruto sniffed, pausing for a moment as he _actually _listened. Sasuke could now see where posts had been nailed around the side of the path and a delicate lattice work of ropes lay across the ground. Sasuke stared down at the mess before him, not sure if he should try to walk through it like Sakura had already done or try jumping for it. 

            "Sasuke, what's going on?" Naruto demanded, stomping forward as Sasuke was trying to remain still and focus on not setting off this trap. The ropes snapped and the overgrown forest covering the hole creaked before falling apart. It had actually been a net and the makibishi only served to cut through the rope as the moss and dirt dropped to a dark abyss that Sasuke couldn't even see the bottom to. Naruto's face twisted and they were both falling with Sakura's scream chasing after them. 

            The wind whistled in Sasuke's ears, almost blocking out Naruto's screaming as they plummeted. Dried vines and underground roots ripped at them as they rocketed down, tearing at Sasuke's legs and his arms as he cross them to protect his face, but doing little to slow the descent. Naruto crashed down beside Sasuke, screaming so loudly that it drove Sasuke to distraction. At this rate, they were going to hit the ground before Sasuke could try to save himself, much less Naruto. No trap could possibly be this deep.

            Sasuke shifted his hand and a small metal hook dropped into his hand with a thin but sturdy wire attached to the end. Sasuke swung it out and the wire squealed as it slid out from his arm concealers, the end was attached to a hidden leather band at the base of his elbow. Sasuke felt the line go taunt as the hook caught on something in the pitch darkness of the tunnel, but Sasuke had more sense than to wait for the wire to run out when they had already fallen so far. He stopped it by looping his hand through the wire deftly so it wouldn't cut through his palms. 

            He reached out just in time to grab Naruto by the back of his jumpsuit before the idiot fell any further. They dangled, dirt and broken roots tumbling past and hitting Sasuke on the top of his head. It was too dark to see how far away to the bottom they were. Sasuke let out a sigh of a relief, and that slight movement was enough for the hook to come loose from whatever hold it had found. Naruto started to scream again, not even taking the time to thank Sasuke for _trying to save their lives before they hit the floor…_

            This was covered in spikes as Sasuke found out unpleasantly, falling the short distance from their stop and landing awkwardly with a long, thin metal pike in his side. Sasuke's feet hit the ground, held up at an old angle by the spike punching through his right side, below his ribcage and out his back. Sasuke choked, one hand wrapping around the trap he had fallen on. It was just too cruel, to survive that long fall only to get skewered at the end. Sasuke bit his lip, determined not to scream as the spike pulsed like hell in his side and through mutilated organs. It hurt very, _very _badly.

            "Whoo hoo! That was close! That could have been bad," Naruto laughed, his disembodied voice frightening in the darkness. Sasuke put his weight on his toes… took a deep breath… and stood up all the way. He grunted at the pain, unable to stop that noise as he staggered back and clamped one hand against the bleeding hole in his shirt. He went to one knee, than fell onto his face. Mud squished underneath the side of Sasuke's cheek, but it didn't help him at all as his vision swam even in this complete darkness. 

            "Sasuke?" Naruto's voice asked curiously in the darkness as Sasuke twisted on the floor of the trap, pain overwhelming him. This was a bad wound, very bad indeed. It had to be fatal, because it wouldn't hurt so much otherwise. Sasuke was going to fail at this stupid mission because of his own carelessness. Absolutely splendid. What a pathetic way to go, like meat on a stick, ready for the fire. Sasuke's vision was wavering and Naruto's second call was already fading in his ears. 

            Naruto probably wouldn't even take the time to carry his corpse out of this miserable hole. 

*                                  *                                  *

            "_Sasuke!" Sakura yelled down the hole as loud as she could, hoping that her voice might actually reach them. She couldn't see anything but the frayed ropes and blackness down the hole Naruto and Sasuke had fallen into. She didn't dare throw a rock in so she could listen to hear how deep it was, figuring she'd likely hit Sasuke on the top of the head with her luck. Really, did these Forbidden Areas have to be so dangerous? Those two could be really hurt down at the bottom from such a fall. There was no answer back, even if those two were still alive-_

            "Don't think like that!" Sakura told herself sternly. There was no way Sasuke would die from falling into that trap, and hadn't Kakashi-sensei said that one requirement was they all came through alive. Sasuke wouldn't let Naruto die either, even _if _he didn't give a rat's ass for him. She believed in Sasuke and was determined not to get in his way. 

            _Besides, if I'm really helpful, maybe Sasuke will realize how good we could be together, Sakura thought with a grin. She had been _very _lucky to get in the same team with Sasuke, putting her closer to him than any other girl in Hidden Leaf Village. She couldn't waste this opportunity to prove herself to Sasuke. If she didn't even talk to Sasuke once during this whole mission, than how was she supposed to get him to love her? Sakura was rather sick of this being a once-sided relationship. Sasuke had to warm up to her sooner or later, and when Kakashi-sensei had announced that they had two nights, she'd been delighted. She had figured it was a chance to get Sasuke alone during the nighttime, once she had managed to think of a way to get rid of Naruto. _

            Sasuke and Naruto weren't supposed to be alone right now! She doubted that little more would come of it than some bruises and wounded pride, but she was still jealous that Naruto got to have Sasuke all to himself right now. And the damn idiot didn't even know how lucky he was! Naruto and Sasuke hated each other, but they had a perfect chance to bond down in the bottom of that hole while Sakura sat up on the tree root. 

            "What should I do?" Sakura moaned out loud, wishing that Sasuke was with her right now. He would have some plan. Sasuke would probably figure a way out of that tap Naruto and he had fallen in and go for the gate. He wasn't the type to look for team members that fell behind, as demonstrated over and over with Naruto. Sasuke finished the mission first, and _then _they could have civil conversation. Now that they were separated, Sasuke would fend for himself without a single thought. 

            Besides, the hole looked waaaaay too deep to jump down after those two. She'd have a better chance of seeing Sasuke again if she headed for gate and met up with him there. With any luck, Kakashi-sensei wouldn't come to open the gate until the full mission time was up, and she'd have another chance to get alone with Sasuke! 

            "Love, just you wait!" Sakura yelled out, feeling a challenge coming on. If she _beat Sasuke and Naruto to the gate, then he'd have to admit that Sakura was just as skilled of a Genin as him… Or, at least, better than Naruto? Sakura sighed, knowing that it didn't mean much to be better than the number one loser in the entire town. Well, she could settle on recognition as being a worthy teammate. _

            Sakura didn't spend a single second longer looking down that miserable dark pit Sasuke and Naruto had fallen into. She turned around on her heel and without a single doubt started down the trail they had been following before, heading south until she hit the barrier fence. She wasn't going to fall behind them any longer, _especially _not Naruto. If Ino ever heard that Sakura had done worse on the past several missions than Naruto, she'd never hear the end of it. 

            Still, the overgrown Forbidden Area was just too _creepy_, now that she knew there were giant spiders waiting to eat her in the trees. Sakura wasn't about to be taken by surprise again, now that she knew what to expect. It didn't stop the chill from running up her spine at the thought of such a disgusting creature. Just what kind of sick Shinobi makes that kind of monster to train Genin and Chuunin? Sakura would skin him alive if she ever met their creator. 

            Giant spiders. _Honestly._

            Sakura made sure to check the strap on her kunai anyway, wanting to be able to draw it as quickly as possible. She would kill that big hairy thing before it could even get close enough for her to have to look at it too closely. Sakura still wished for Sasuke or Naruto, because they were always ready to fight with the worst, most disgusting wild animals and criminals. Sakura still held back, a little grossed out by the thought of other giant insects in the forest, like beetles and worms… _Oh,_ please,_ let there not be giant snakes in this area. _

            She should have brought more gear, feeling unprepared to take this on all by herself with only a few extra kunai, shuriken, and a water bottle. She could at least try to drown anything that attacked her if the usual sharp pointy things didn't work. _Yeah, right. She might as well pop an apple in her mouth and serve herself up fresh to the next unnecessarily large and scary _thing _that came along. Sakura didn't see the point in Kakashi-sensei's 'training,' unless he was really trying to get them killed. _

            Perhaps Kakashi-sensei was hoping that Naruto might get himself eaten alive in this Forbidden Area, but then why would he said that all teammates had to survive? It was frustrating to try and figure out that man's thoughts whenever he made them do these ridiculous training sessions. From what Sakura's other friends had told her, their Genin teams were never sent into Forbidden Areas regularly, or had to repaint houses around town. She had to go through the strangest mix of extremely hard and dangerous missions to humiliating simple ones. It was probably due to the difference in Sasuke and Naruto's skills. Why couldn't their team have been a _little _more balanced?

            Maybe she did miss Sasuke and Naruto. It was just so awful to have to walk through this place alone. At least there was a clear trail in front of her, most likely some animal's forgotten path. She couldn't tell if there had been any animals on it recently and really hoped that there wouldn't be any more coming. She wouldn't be thinking about all this if she had someone to talk to. At least Naruto filled the silence with his own mindless chatter, even if no one was listening to him. 

            Sakura absently started to whistle a tune her mother had hummed to her when she was younger. It was better to have some kind of noise than the eerie silence of this Forbidden Area. Of course there wouldn't be any bird to make everything sound nice and peaceful. Someone had put a lot of thought into the mood of this place, but Sakura wouldn't give in, even if she was alone. _Screw Kakashi-sensei and his missions. She'd ace this one without a single hitch, and Sasuke would finally recognize her for it. _

            As long as she kept marching ahead, there was nothing to stop Sasuke and her from falling in love. How would he be able to resist her once she proved what an excellent Genin she was? Sakura would be worthy of Sasuke! She couldn't wait to see the other girls' faces when she told them her and Sasuke had come to an understanding, especially that pig girl Ino. With any luck, Naruto would finally give up on her as well. It was so irritating to be chased by some lovesick idiot when she didn't have the slightest shred of affection for Naruto. 

            Sakura tried to put a little more effort into her whistling, thinking of how she could get Sasuke alone when they reunited.

*                                  *                                  *

            _He was whistling. _

_            Sasuke hadn't whistled in years. Looking down, he noticed the small, pudgy fingers at the end of his soft hands. No thick padded calluses from all of the training Sasuke had put himself through. In fact, his body was much smaller than he remembered. He wasn't even wearing his clothes but the hand-downs from his brother, one too-big black shirt and shorts that couldn't be worn without a belt. _

_            Sasuke realized everything was wrong because he was younger right now, slowly walking down the dirt path that led to their home slightly outside of town. He was tossing a shuriken from hand to hand with less skill than Sasuke recalled when he first starting learning how to throw them. The pointed ends of the stars had left small nicks all over the palms of his hands. He hadn't learned yet that there was always a rhythm to the shuriken that was crucial to a successful catch or toss. _

_            What he was whistling wasn't recognizable as any real song, merely making noise while he walked back home. Sasuke pursed his lips, shutting off the whistling ruthlessly. If he had time to whistle like some carefree idiot, than he had the time to think about some of the techniques he had seen Father use before. He would become the best Shinobi ever one day, and then Mother and Father would recognize him as the better son. Itachi was just a little bit ahead of him right now. _

_            He put the small shuriken away in on of the back pockets of his shorts, not wanting Itachi to see him struggling. His brother would tease him mercilessly if he saw Sasuke couldn't do one of the basics necessary for becoming a Genin. Mother would likely yell when she saw his bloody hands, but Father would only smile. Father knew that Sasuke was trying very hard to catch up to Itachi and wasn't about to stop his sons from having the usual sibling rivalry. Itachi was already the youngest Anbu captain ever in __Hidden__Leaf__Village__'s history. Sasuke had a lot to do if he was going to surpass his older brother. _

_            The familiar tall fence made out of elegantly carved and polished fitted pieces of dark wood faced Sasuke when he took the last turn. The gate was simple and wasn't locked yet even though it was well into dusk. Only a small golden outline on the tops of the mountains in the distance told where the sun was. Sasuke knew he was late from Shuriken practice, but he had been rather determined to get it right. Even geniuses from the legendary clan of Uchiha had to work at it sometimes. _

_            The house was quiet, the large roof over their house impeccably thatched and the whitewash on the walls clean as ever. Their home was more of a manor from earlier days before Sasuke had even been born, when the clan had been larger. A lacquered hardwood porch wrapped around the entire building. Many wide windows showed the many empty rooms of their house, finding it hard to fill the place with only four people.  The rooms would hold more people again soon enough when Itachi found a woman to marry and make a family. Sasuke was expected to do the same as well, even though he wasn't the first-born son. Their line had to be preserved, and that meant as many grandchildren as possible for Father. _

_            He'd have to wash and bandage his hands before Mother saw the damage. He'd be better off sneaking into the house and going to the bathroom first. Sasuke opened up the gate with only a small push and slipped in through the smallest of cracks. Being young had the advantages of a smaller size to maneuver around. He didn't take the path that led up through Mother's garden to their house, preferring to slouch as low as possible behind the willow tree and detouring around to the side of the house that his and his brother's rooms were on. _

_            The window to his own room was slightly open, just as he always left it in case he had to sneak back in like he was doing now. Sasuke pulled the window open and stepped inside with as little trouble as walking through the front door, except his room was empty. Sasuke closed and latched the window after himself before toeing his sandals off. He picked up his shoes and placed them at the foot of his bed like usual, wincing only a bit at the stinging pain of the cuts on his hands. _

_            Sasuke unstrapped the side pack attached to his belt that held all of the shuriken Mother would allow a young boy to have, even if he was training to be a Shinobi, an Anbu Captain like his brother. And one day a Sage. Even Itachi had yet to aspire that far. He placed the pack on his desk that had his kunai and sharpening kit, as well as the makimono scrolls that Itachi had thrown away on a whim. Sasuke had already learned to horde his equipment, because even if their family was well off, things still cost money. _

_            He took off his shirt that was smudged with dust from the practice field and damp with sweat and tossed it into the laundry basket against the wall. He knew better than to appear in front of his Father in such a mess. Composure was strictly enforced along with every other old-fashioned rigid rule Father had made. Sasuke had learned to be obedient and found that underneath the coldness was a caring and gentle man that loved his sons. Itachi had only gotten irritated and rebelled, furious that he had to follow someone else's rules. _

_            Sasuke took a clean blue shirt from his closet and put his head and arms through the holes. He smoothed it out and dusted off some of the spots from his shorts. They were still reasonably clean, so there was no reason to change now. He was already bordering on late to dinner and there wasn't enough time to take a bath. Sasuke would just have to chance it as he moved to his door and opened it to the hallway without a sound. It was silent and empty as usual, since Itachi was either in his room with the door locked, or more likely, not even coming home tonight again. _

_            Sasuke's bare feet didn't so much as squeak against the floor and Sasuke knew what places would creak when someone walked over the weak spots by heart. He made it to the bathroom without a hitch and closed the door as well. He shared the bathroom with only Itachi, so there wasn't anything beyond the necessities, not even a single decoration on the wall. Neither of them had any desire to hang up silly material possessions, so the bathroom was bare beyond a large supply of toilet paper in the cupboard placed by Mother. _

_            He went to the sink and turned on the warm water, washing his hands with the bar of soap on the counter. He rubbed his soapy hands over his face and rinsed with several handfuls of water that he caught under the sink. He took the towel folded on top of the counter and dried off his face and hands before hanging it to dry on a hook by the shower. Feeling better and a little more awake, Sasuke reached under the sink to draw out the small medical kit he had stored in here for occasions just like this. _

_            There were plenty of band-aids to wrap around the cuts at the base of his fingers from fumbling the catch several times. It was nothing too serious now that Sasuke had washed off the blood and dirt, but he looked as though he had been mauled by a cat. Sasuke pulled out the small roll of a thin, long bandage fabric. He held down the end of the strip with his thumb and begun to wrap his left palm carefully, making sure not to be too tight nor loose so the bandage would stay in place. He tied off the strip by looping it around a previous wrap and knotting it, before repeating the same with another roll. _

_            Sasuke closed the kit and replaced it in the lower cabinet then gathered up the wrappers from the band aids and threw them away in the trash can by the toilet. He examined his hands once, making sure that all the cuts were safely hidden. He could lie and say it was weights for Taijutsu training. Father would approve of that excuse, even if Sasuke hadn't put any iron balls in the wrappings. He didn't bother to be careful about opening the door or hiding the sound of his footsteps. They were expecting him to come down for dinner soon anyway. _

_            He walked down the hallway to the corner that turned into the open living room. The large, simple redwood table was set for four with all the bowls still face down on the table and the napkins untouched. The sitting pads around the table didn't show any sign of someone sitting in them. It was strange not to see food waiting to be served by now and to have Mother and Father waiting for their errant sons to come to the dining room. Sasuke was sure he was running late. It had to be sunset by now! Something just didn't feel right about the table being ready for dinner and no one there, how the house was so eerily silent. Even for his family, it was too quiet._

_            "Mother?" Sasuke called out, a little curious now to where the family could be. Perhaps she had been late in cooking dinner and was still in the kitchen. There was no answer, nothing but the distant caw of a crow in the front yard. The house was much too quiet if Mother was in the kitchen. Sasuke stepped back into the dark hallway, noticing now that not even the main hall had the lights on. There weren't even candles if it was a black out. The floorboards creaked now under his weight as Sasuke moved down the hallway to the kitchen. _

_            There was a soft noise that made Sasuke hesitate at the sliding door to the kitchen. He saw the light underneath the edge of the door, where Mother must be inside cooking. She must have just started dinner late, no matter how rare it was. But, still, Father should be around here somewhere, waiting to tear into Sasuke for being late again. He had to avoid that until he could be safe from outright yelling by manner required for the dining table. _

_            "Mom," Sasuke greeted, sliding open the door with a soft whisper of wood. There was a pot starting to smoke on the stove that had been left on. What was Mother thinking? She had never been late to cook dinner before, and now she was burning things? That wasn't like her! There was a wet ripping noise and Sasuke looked to the corner where the sink was. _

_            The back of a man in a Hidden Leaf Village uniform was straddling mother who was already dead, her throat a gaping red mouth that was still bleeding into her beautiful, long black hair. Mother's eyes were open, staring at Sasuke in forever frozen terror, because he had been too late. Because he had been standing outside the door only seconds ago, and didn't know that she had been murdered on the other side. _

_            Sasuke fell to the floor, trying to scream but unable to make the slightest sound beyond a weak, dry squeak. Mother's favorite soft red kimono was ripped open, her pale white chest and breasts exposed as the stranger was using a kunai to cut a straight line from her collar bone to belly button. Mother's body still bled, even though the blank, lifeless eyes were boring into Sasuke's. Her neck twisted at a strange and impossible way as the man dropped the blade to the floor, blood splattering on the kitchen floor. She looked like a piece of meat from the neck down, muscles glistening wetly._

_            "Sasuke?" Whispered a familiar voice, an almost polite greeting as Itachi turned around to look at his little brother. Sasuke started to shake all over, his body not listening to his commands to get up and _move_, regardless of if it was to run away or attack. Just, move… He was frozen with terror under the set of red Sharigan that turned on him. He screamed and fell to the floor, unable to run away. His knees shook, his heart was going to jump out of his throat. The muscles in his legs wouldn't respond, his arms were dead. All Sasuke could do was stare at his brother who was still waiting for a welcome in horrified disbelief._

_            "Itachi," Sasuke moaned in misery, not sure what else he could do. He felt frozen, numb. Sasuke saw no reason for his brother to be using the technique now. How could Mother have even presented the slightest threat to his brother? She was gentle, kind; she didn't have the slightest clue about techniques to kill. She was _dead_! What use was there in seeing a corpse's flow of chakra? There _wasn't _a life force anymore!  ___

            Mother…

            _"I want to see what was inside this bitch, since she was always going on about what was inside and that shit. Don't you want to know what the whore was thinking?" Itachi asked Sasuke, licking his lips and wiggling his fingers in a suggestive way toward his face. Sasuke whimpered and shook his head, unable to move away as his brother teased him like usual. Except this time, Itachi had killed their parents instead of just threatening to do it behind their backs. _

_            Sasuke found the strength to scream as his brother put two hands on either side of the large, blood line he had made down Mother's stomach and pulled the skin apart. Itachi laughed as flesh ripped and organs were revealed, Mother's body only moving because his brother was yanking her apart. Sasuke screamed again, over and over, his sight graying as Itachi laughed and experimentally poked a finger into Mother's exposed lungs. Blood splattered as he accidentally ripped through the tender organ and Sasuke sobbed, unable to prevent it. _

_            A fist slammed into the side of his face so hard that Sasuke was so dazed he couldn't even recall being struck for a moment.  His face was wet and Sasuke realized in a distant horror that it was because of Mother's blood on Itachi's knuckles. His brother  was grinning close to Sasuke's face, a killer's fever  pouring off of him so strongly that even Sasuke could feel it, as untrained as he was. His brother had done this. He had killed Mother._

_            Sasuke fell to the floor, crumpling like a doll at his brother's feet. Itachi only grinned larger, looking so proud of himself. Sasuke wasn't sure why anymore. Everything felt so… strange. Sasuke wanted this to be a dream. He'd wake up and none of this would have ever happened. Mother wasn't dead. Mother couldn't be dead. Itachi wasn't _that _crazy._

_            "What have you done?" came Father's horrified roar as he stepped one powerful stride into the kitchen far too late. Sasuke couldn't turn to see his Father, disgusted. Hadn't Mother screamed out? Shouldn't Father have heard the cries? Why hadn't he come to the kitchen earlier? Even though Sasuke couldn't remember hearing any noise in the halls when he had snuck in, wasn't Father supposed to be the head of the Uchiha Clan? He should have _known_ something was wrong. _

_            "Dad. Look at what I did. She liked me best after all," Itachi sneered, grabbing the rumpled front of his pants suggestively. Sasuke didn't know what Itachi was talking about, but Father looked absolutely livid in his dark house robes. Even Father, usually so calm and composed, turned a dark red in his face, a sure sign that Itachi wasn't likely to live for very much longer. He deserved it, for killing Mother. Secretly, silently, Sasuke hoped Father would kill Itachi, because there was no way Sasuke would be able to at his skill; and he wanted nothing more than his brother's death right now._

_            Itachi laughed insolently and kicked Sasuke hard in the side, sending him sliding across the floor toward Father. No one stopped it, because Sasuke felt his Father simply jump over his own battered son and launch himself at Itachi barehanded. Sasuke heard the blows before he actually managed to orientate himself enough to figure out Father and Itachi were fighting. _

_            The stove was starting to smoke fiercely, the smell of burnt vegetables and meat hitting Sasuke's nose. Hadn't Father always thought that Itachi was strange, even for being his own son? Look what had happened now. Sasuke shook his head, clearing the fog from his eyes to see Father move forward at an incredible, unimaginable speed, fists out to strike at Itachi…_

_            And finding nothing as his brother merely dodged like Father was a large drunken fool and stabbing a new kunai into his right back before yanking it out again. Father didn't even grunt, just turned to land a fist against Itachi's fist- that was blocked by a hand that Sasuke hadn't even seen move. Itachi swiped the kunai down across the black silk of Father's robe and the inside of his elbow, effectively laming that hand. _

_            They were fighting in the cramped space of the kitchen that was already made smaller by Mother's corpse still bleeding in the center like there were miles on either side. There was no way Sasuke would ever be able to move like this. He was so young, so weak. He didn't have the strength to break in and stop this. Sasuke could only watch in shock. _

_            "Father!" Sasuke screamed. What was going on? Wasn't Father the strongest in the village? Wasn't he a Sage? Why was Itachi able to simply spin out of the way when Father tried to punch him with his other good hand? Itachi stabbed the kunai into the back of Father's shoulder, laughing as if it were only a game as more of Father's blood drenched the dark, expensive fabric. _

_            "Itachi!" Father yelled, as if it only occurred to him now to try talking to his son. Father was panting. Sasuke had never seen his Father tire before, not once. Father had always been able to defeat any Chounin or even full Anbu teams at once easily. Itachi didn't even blink at his name, darting forward and slitting his throat as he had done Mother. _

_            Father didn't say any last words as he gasped and gurgled for air, blood splattering out for his mouth and soaking down his arms as Father tried to hold his neck together. Sasuke screamed in agony, knowing there was nothing he could do, powerless to stop this. This was a nightmare, right? He wanted to wake up. Father couldn't be dead. He was too strong to be defeated by Itachi, even if his older brother was a genius. _

_            Father's arms went limp first, dropping down loosely to his sides before falling face-first to the floor, slumped across Mother's own corpse to cover the horrible wound Itachi had made in her chest. The last thing Sasuke had said to his father was a grunt when he had been greeted with 'good morning' before leaving for school. He had been in a rush to get to the practice field after sleeping in this morning, and had made up for it by staying out at the practice field late without sending word to his parents. He had been disrespectful to his Father, and now he was dead._

_            Sasuke's world narrowed down, his vision tunneling as he tried to look away from his father's glassy eyes that stared down at the floor without seeing anything at all. Tears blinded his own vision, spilling down from his eyes because Sasuke was alive. Father wasn't. He wouldn't get a chance to yell at Sasuke after all. Ever again. They were still bleeding on the hardwood floor, even though there was no heartbeat to pump blood through their bodies._

_            His knees were jerking spasmodically as the puddle of blood grew larger, coming closer to him. Sasuke couldn't breathe anymore, scrabbling back on his elbows since his legs were dead things, until his head hit a wall hard enough for Sasuke to see stars. The shock was enough to keep Sasuke from blubbering on the floor, unable to do anything. Sasuke didn't think he would stand a single chance against someone that his Father hadn't been able to defeat. He still had to try. He had to stop Itachi's madness. Father and Mother were dead, the dwindling Uchiha clan down to two. Why would Itachi _want _to kill them, when there were already so few with the family name? Why did Itachi smile as he killed his own parents? Didn't they mean anything__?_

_            "Why?" Sasuke screamed, lunging up from the floor so fast that the muscles in his legs spasmed so hard that it _hurt_. Mother. He could remember her smile, how she would turn around in surprise if she was concentrating on cooking. Sasuke loved her, would give his life just as readily as Father had. He had to try__, flying forward to get close enough to Itachi as he stared down at the two corpses to lash out with a fist. Sasuke didn't even know that he had the courage to actually get this far, but one small set of bandaged knuckles went for Itachi's face. Sasuke would have to make things right by himself. Father was dead. _

_            He hadn't really expected to land a hit, but it was still a shock when Itachi locked it with his much larger hand. His brother smiled predatorily as his fingers tightened around Sasuke's right fist, digging into the skins and tendons underneath. He didn't stop then, pushing in further as Sasuke started to scream in physical pain, no longer because his family was dead.  _

_            Except for Itachi. _

_            His own brother was killing off their clan. Mother was never going to gently wake Sasuke up in the morning or pick flowers in the garden ever again. Father was never going to yell at him, never give Sasuke a small piece of congratulations when he actually did something right. Sasuke's hand didn't hurt as much as his heart when there was a sickening crack of bones breaking before the pain actually hit. _

_            "You always whine, whine, whine," Itachi tisked as Sasuke screamed, sagging down to the floor until his nose hit the wood, his palm still captured even though his brother had probably mangled it beyond any use. It had been his dominant hand too. He was going to die here; with Itachi smirking as he dropped Sasuke's broken hand. The pain of the limb hitting the floor made tears sting in Sasuke's eyes anew. Sasuke wasn't going to be able to avenge his parents' death. _

_            "Why?" Sasuke managed to sob out, knowing that Itachi was going to kill him next and that he wasn't strong enough to stop it. His brother smiled, his eyes glistening with humor even though the side of Itachi's face was splattered with blood. It must be Father's. Or, some of it might be Mother's. Sasuke couldn't be sure anymore. _

_            "Why not?" Itachi returned, leaning forward and running his tongue along the side of Sasuke's face, over the tears and smear of Mother's blood. There was no reason for this either, just like his parents. Itachi did whatever he pleased, even if it was to pant very close to Sasuke's face with desire that was evident no matter how young and unknowledgeable he was. Sasuke closed his eyes, wanting to wake up. This was too awful to be real. Mother's eyes watched without emotion as the saliva cooled on Sasuke's face and Itachi laughed again, absolutely overjoyed at killing their parents._

_            "Sasuke. Little brother. Do you want to kill me yet?" Itachi questioned in a cool voice, completely serious as he placed his eyes so close to Sasuke that their noses almost touched. Sasuke's mouth trembled, his tongue thick in his mouth as he looked at the inner circle and design of the sharigan, spinning, sucking him in. Itachi smiled as he made one motion with his hands. Sasuke gasped in true helplessness then, every muscle in his body going hard and tense beyond his control. Sasuke fell back to the floor, his vision going red as even the hair on his head _hurt_. _

_            Itachi smiled so large that his canines were visible, glistening. Sasuke wanted to close his eyes, wanted to cry or scream, but only wheezed as his lungs and heart were squeezed by the flexing muscles. Sasuke didn't know what technique Itachi was using, but it hurt, it hurt so much. He was starting to black out, blood squeezing out his nose, mouth, and the corners of his eyes. Death was lingering in the back of his mind, an easy white light in the darkness that was filling his vision. _

_            "You're so weak," Itachi huffed in a disappointed manner. Sasuke's muscles stopped clenching beyond his control as his brother released whatever technique he had used. Everything hurt too much to even move, laying on the floor in a small ball of pain and hoping that his brother would just forget he was even there. He _was_ weak, because everything was turning pink and grey as he coughed up the blood clinging to the inside of his throat. _

_            Sasuke stared up at the rafters of the roof, never noticing the careful fitting of the arches before. Perhaps he was trying to memorize everything before he died. Sasuke didn't care anymore. Mother was dead with Father crumpled on top in mockery of how much they had loved each other in life. Sasuke wished he was dead now instead of this weak, battered, and aching body. He wished Itachi would hurry it up so he could join Mother in Heaven. That was where he would go, right? It wasn't like Sasuke even had the time to _do _anything really bad with his short, young life. He smelled something burning and wondered if he might be going to Hell after all._

_            "Aren't you ashamed, little brother? Mother wanted a girl, and you became her little bitch without even thinking," Itachi questioned as he grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt and hefted him up from the floor. Sasuke's feet dangled above the floor and he didn't even try to move, every muscle turned to mush after being under his brother's gaze. He only hung limply, the cloth of his shirt digging into his armpits as Itachi's two inhuman red eyes bore into his own. Sasuke wasn't even sure what he was talking about, too hurt to think or figure it out._

_            "What do you think? Should I cut you open and see what's inside you too? You want to be just like her, right?" Itachi demanded as he shook Sasuke like an animal to be punished. Sasuke had enough sense to moan a 'no.' He didn't want to be cut into small pieces. He just wanted it to end, as quickly as possible. Sasuke didn't really care how it happened; he just vainly hoped that it wouldn't be too painful. His eyes ached, the veins pounding with blood that had been forced around in his body. It was impossible to concentrate on his brother's face that moved with echoed movements flashing in his vision. _

_            "Or do you want to die like a hero? You wanna be like Daddy?" Itachi sneered, shaking Sasuke again. When he didn't answer, Itachi sniffed again and twisted his fist even further in his shirt that just wasn't meant to take it. The front ripped and Sasuke fell on his side, hitting the floor bonelessly and laying there with the desperate hope that if he didn't move, maybe Itachi wouldn't notice him. His brother only nudged Sasuke curiously in the side with the open toe of his sandals, forcing him onto his back. _

_            "Look at you," Itachi murmured in such a way that Sasuke wasn't sure if he was disappointed or impressed. A foot slammed down on his chest, pinning him to the floor hard enough to knock the wind out of Sasuke's already struggling lungs. Why wasn't Father coming now? How could he not hear the pitiful noises coming out of Sasuke's mouth, squirming in pain? _

Oh. _Sasuke belatedly remembered Father was dead. His eyes lolled up his head, Sasuke unable to focus on anything at all at Mother's bleeding neck flashed in front of his eyes, Father's fingers spread out on the floor lifelessly. Itachi had done this. Sasuke's one good hand twitched, his fingers curling up spasmodically when Sasuke tried to make them relax. Itachi grinned further, leaning his full weight on Sasuke's chest. He felt like his ribs were going to split apart and shatter into his lungs. He coughed, gagging on stomach fluid that was forced up and out of his body. _

_            Wheezing, with stars floating across his vision, Sasuke tried to move his body. He would _die _if he didn't move. He didn't want to die! Painfully, with more effort than Sasuke ever remembered needing before, he clamped one small, shaking hand around Itachi's ankle. He didn't have the strength to move his brother's foot, but he had to try. He had to avenge Mother and Father. He had to kill his brother. Sasuke wouldn't be able to live with the shame if he didn't try now, no matter how hopeless it was. _

_            "I already killed everyone else. You're the last one left, little brother," Itachi informed him with a sadistic grin as he reached down to grab Sasuke's wrist. He tore Sasuke's fingers away from his leg without even the slightest break of his smile. Itachi couldn't mean _everyone_. Grandma lived in a separate wing of the house, as respect demanded for a wise and older ninja. She had two nieces studying with them now, neither of which Sasuke had even bothered to learn the names of even though the sisters swooned over him. Just like that slightly older maid who lived with her father in a separate house on the Uchiha grounds. And the other servants. They couldn't all be dead. _

_            Itachi drew out another kunai from the pack secured to his upper thigh and Sasuke's eyes went wide. He didn't even have time to think, the flashing length of the blade catching his blurred attention for one horrified moment before Itachi slammed Sasuke's wrist down on the floor. He had enough time for a mangled gasp before his brother stabbed the kunai through his open palm. _

_            He screamed, trying to arch his back with the pain, his bare heels scrabbling on the floor. It hurt worse than Sasuke could have ever imagined, burning through his hand and all the way up to his elbow. Sasuke screamed again, hindered by the tears that he couldn't stop. It hurt so _bad. _Itachi pulled off him, removing his foot to let Sasuke moan in pain and curl up in a ball around his nailed hand. Every muscle went rigid again as Sasuke kept screaming like the child he was, this time in real pain instead of his brother's technique. He didn't even have the sense to pull the kunai out, not when it was causing such _agony_.  _

_            "Shut up," Itachi ordered with a sharp kick to the bottom of Sasuke's jaw. He saw stars as blood filled his mouth again from where his teeth had torn open the inside of his cheek. It dribbled out the side of his mouth as Itachi knelt down on the floor by Sasuke's legs, pinning one ankle down with his hand. Sasuke tried once to kick at Itachi's head even though his face was wet with tears and blood. He screamed as the kunai tore further into his palm with the movement…_

Mother.

            Father. 

            Grandma. 

            Everyone…

_            Sasuke must have only been out for a few seconds, but when he became of his reeling head and the burning white pain in his captured hand that was spreading across the rest of his body. His shirt was gone… and then Sasuke dully recalled that Itachi had ripped it off of him earlier. Sasuke realized that more than just his back was cold against the floor and noticed now that his shorts were gone now as well. His eyes scanned the room that was doubling and tripling in his vision before he spotted them, thrown over Mother's face in a cruel mockery of a death veil, her chest one horrible gaping wound. _

_            Itachi hefted up Sasuke's right leg and rested his calf against the shoulder pad. Sasuke lifted up his head just barely enough so he could see his brother sheath the bloody kunai that Itachi had dropped earlier without even bothering to clean it. Sasuke choked as Itachi blinked up and noticed that his little brother had come around again. His face was blank, the pair of sharigan expressionless, before Itachi's face morphed into the sick smile he had been wearing when he ripped Mother open._

_            "I'll torture you just like a bug," Itachi sneered as he dug his fingers into one of Sasuke's butt cheeks. He gasped, terror overwhelming him when he didn't even know why as he started to squirm and pull his legs closed from how his brother had scissored them apart. He had been naked in front of his brother before, but it had never been so frighteningly obvious before. _Everything_ just felt wrong, even worse than when Itachi had ripped open Mother. Sasuke didn't know why there was a ball of ice building up in the middle of his stomach that was even worse than the pain in his hand. Itachi was able to sense his fear, grinning widely as if it was the best joke in the world as he grasped the kunai by the sheath and shoved the single grip hilt with a small circle of metal at the end up Sasuke's rear. _

_            It was like a second spine was trying to force its way in. Skin tore, Sasuke screamed at the suddenness, the way his world ripped in two starting at his anus. He bucked wildly, his pinned hand sliding up and down on the kunai as he tried to get away, twisting uselessly. Itachi straightened his shoulders, hooking Sasuke's knee all the way over his back and pressing his other leg against the floor, the bones screaming in protest. Sasuke felt the blood finally well out from his rear and trace down one of his legs as Itachi ruthlessly held the kunai in place by the sheath. _

_            Sasuke's toes curled and he broke fingernails on the polished hardwood floor, screaming so much that his throat tore and his battered jaw ached. Itachi only laughed at Sasuke's pain, jerking the kunai in further than Sasuke thought it was possible. Organs inside bruised and shifted, Sasuke's world reduced to the pain Itachi was inflicting on him. His body was too small to accept the large hilt, but Itachi didn't seem to mind, wiggling it in further like Sasuke's body was a puzzle that needed a little persuasion._

_            "You're still a virgin," Itachi suddenly stated out loud, as though it surprised him. Tears spilled out, Sasuke wavering between screaming his heart out and whimpering in pain as Itachi demanded that his body to adjust to what was being forced in. The metal was dry and cold inside of Sasuke, even though it caused a pain hotter than the sun. _

_            "I though Daddy would have fucked you by now. He was already working on me when I was your age, _darling_ little brother," Itachi whispered in a chillingly quiet voice, dropping Sasuke's leg off of his shoulder and the sheath of the kunai to lean closer with every word. He ended a hair's breath away from Sasuke's trembling face, blonde bangs dropping down to brush Sasuke's sweaty and bloody forehead. The three swirls inside the red sharigan pupils twisted around once as though Itachi was thinking about using a technique, then decided against it as the eyes stopped moving. _

_            Sasuke's first kiss was his brother pinching his cheeks hard enough to spread his jaw and force a tongue so far in that it tickled the back of Sasuke's throat. He felt like gagging, bile burning up his throat from the embarrassment of the slick feeling of the blood coming out of his rear from the kunai. He couldn't breathe, using his free arm to swing the limb at the elbow like a club since his hand was useless. Itachi bit Sasuke's lower lip hard enough to stop the attack before it could even hit. _

_            "You want me to do that hand too?" Itachi snapped in deadly seriousness, pulling back to run a hand down Sasuke's bloody and bruised cheek. Sasuke shook his head weakly, his left hand resting against the floor with the kunai in the middle. His hand looked like a pinned insect covered in blood, disgusting to his own eyes. Itachi nodded at his weak, shaking surrender and settled between Sasuke's legs with his knees forced to rest on Itachi's hips as he knelt down to remove the kunai. Maybe this was just another one of his pranks, maybe he was done now. In one horrible, weak moment, Sasuke didn't want to die, no matter how much Itachi's hand hurt. _

_            It was harder than Sasuke had imagined it would be to get the kunai out of his body. Itachi had buried it further than he had meant to, because it took some painful prodding with his brother's gloved fingers to push around in the bleeding wound of his opening before he found a grip. The kunai slid out with one pain, slick pop that made Sasuke scream, no matter how weak it was because of his ruined throat, and tears flowed all over again. Itachi threw it to the side and was still for a moment, as if trying to think of what to do next. _

_            "No," Sasuke finally whispered something coherent, not sure what thought was forming in Itachi's sick mind. Itachi only chuckled once at his small spark of resistance and patted the top of Sasuke's leg like he was animal performing a trick. More tears spilled out, and Sasuke wasn't sure why. He couldn't stop crying, so scared and hurt and alone. There would be no comfort from Mother tending to him in bed and Father grudgingly admitting to missing their daily sparring. _

_            "You already know. Maybe Daddy did teach you a little," Itachi spat, reaching down and opening up the zipper of his pants. Sasuke shook his head, not sure what there was to be afraid of but instinctively knowing nonetheless. Itachi's penis fell out, but this time it was stiff and red. Sasuke vaguely realized it must be an erection, but he couldn't understand why Itachi would be turned on at Mother's dead corpse._

_            Unless…_

_            "Let's see how you fit me," Itachi wondered with breathless anticipation as Sasuke started to scream 'no' again and again, realizing what Itachi meant. He knew about sex, just a little bit from what Father had told him when Sasuke asked children's questions about where babies came from He hadn't been able to understand it all, except that it was supposed to be a boy and  There was a small pearl of white liquid at the top of the head, oozing out dangerously as Sasuke wished again for death instead of the pain of surviving. He didn't want this. Itachi had killed Mother and Father, and now, and _now _he was going to…_

_            Itachi wasn't his brother. _

_            Sasuke had to kill him. _

_            Even the resolve didn't help Sasuke prepare for the pain of being entered a second time. It didn't hurt nearly as much as the kunai, Itachi's flesh much more forgiving then metal, but the pain of it being his own brother made up for it. Sasuke saw stars as he was slowly split in two, Itachi using the blood to slide in with agonizing precision. He had to be trying to make it hurt, because Sasuke saw the most fantastic stars as his palm turned into a distant, stabbing pain. The feeling of Itachi forcing in an erection that was big enough to punch Sasuke's bladder from behind took over everything. Flesh split in different places now, the blood adding more leverage for Itachi to pull out and slam back in again. _

_            Sasuke came teasingly close to blacking out between the wavelike intensity of his body, going back and forth between his ruined, bloody hand and Itachi's stiff gloves digging into his sides. Itachi lifted Sasuke's hips up off the floor to gain a better angle. He started to ram into Sasuke with more intensity, finding pleasure when Sasuke only felt a horrible, rending pain. Itachi's breathing was heavier, grunting as he started to become more energetic. Sasuke could only feel sick as ruined fingers dug into the floor and twitched around the kunai stabbed through his nerves, trying to move away from the hurt. It was like Itachi had shoved a metal rod up his entire body, through his lungs and heart. Sasuke couldn't think about anything else but when it would be over._

_            "You like it? Huh? Does it feel good? Mother liked it," Itachi panted out, proud and bragging while Sasuke thought he was going to die. Sasuke was bleeding in a place he had never even _thought _about much and Itachi was enjoying it. Sasuke didn't know how Itachi could feel any pleasure in the act when he in such agony_. He had never known this kind of ripping, tearing violence before, never even thought he could live through such torture as his shoulders burned from being pushed across the floor by Itachi's thrusts. __

_            Itachi seemed to have endless endurance for this, the killer's smile plastered all over his face as he reached up to pinch one of Sasuke's small nipples. Sasuke wasn't sure why he did it, but Itachi twisted his fingers cruelly and tugged so hard that Sasuke thought his brother was trying to tear it off. Sasuke grunted, in too much pain already to scream at it as Itachi continued to pound into him, rocking Sasuke's body along the floor. The hand pinned with the kunai started to ache and _hurt_ as Sasuke cried out. _

_            Any noise only made Itachi pound harder and faster, hitting organs inside of Sasuke that only sent electric shocks up and down his back. Itachi was grunting now, the first show of a lack of control Sasuke had seen yet. Itachi's eyes closed and his mouth opened wordlessly in pleasure, letting go of Sasuke's nipple to shove a gloved thumb in Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke tasted the coppery sting of blood, likely his own. _

_            "You scream… more than… she did," Itachi complained in concentrated efforts between moving in and out of Sasuke's bloody rear. Mother… Sasuke just wanted it to be over, trying to clench his muscles against Itachi without avail. It only hurt worse. He gurgled, choking on his own salvia and Itachi's thumb before finally closing his aching, teary eyes and biting down hard. _

_            Itachi cursed loudly before reaching between Sasuke's legs and grabbing his small, wrinkled genitals in one hand with all the force of a vice. Sasuke's jaw unlatched to scream out with the pain, wondering how it could have possible hurt worse, but Itachi had known how to make it so. Itachi jerked his thumb out from Sasuke's mouth and started to slap him with an open palm, and then the back of his hand when he swung back to strike Sasuke's face over and over. _

_            Sasuke's head rolled on the floor and his eyes ached as they started to roll up into his head. Sasuke didn't think he'd be able to stay awake for this any longer, wanting unconsciousness so he could run away from this. Itachi wasn't about to let him, slapping Sasuke lightly this time as if he was trying to wake him up for school. Sasuke offered no more resistance then, too numb and cold to do any more than limply take the last of Itachi's assault that ended in a shuddering stop that made Sasuke want to die. Itachi grunted, pushing in for good measure as he came to some sort of climax. _

_            There was another liquid inside of him now, not blood, but Itachi's leave takings as he stayed in for a moment, breathing as heavily as if he was at the end of a hard marathon. Tears poured down the side of Sasuke's face and onto the floor; just as weak as Itachi accused him of being. He just wanted it all to end. Everything was too much to take. He couldn't understand it, why this had to have happened, why it hurt, why it felt so _wrong._ He wanted Mother to hold him, kiss him on the head, and say it was all better, except she was dead now. _

_            Itachi pulled out slowly, languid and pleased with himself as he left Sasuke to stay on the floor. He couldn't move, blinking as he realized the stove was still on and the fire was starting to spread to the counter. The house was starting to burn down, along with Mother and Father's bodies. Sasuke didn't have the strength to move, not after his hips hit the floor as Itachi stepped up from him like a toy that had been used too much. Itachi had finally grown tired of Sasuke, but it wasn't soon enough to stop the _hurt. _Sasuke wanted to draw his knees up and hide, but his thighs screamed in agony at the thought._

_            "Well, shit," Itachi cursed as if he had discovered his sandal was undone as the fire from the stove started to break out across the kitchen, finding plenty of polished wood to burn on. Red and orange flickered across Itachi's face, making the sharigan flash as he moved over to Mother and Father to pick up Sasuke's shorts. Sasuke cried even harder as Mother's face was exposed again to stare at him in accusation while Itachi cleaned himself off with Sasuke's shorts and a bored sniff. _

_            As silly as it was, Sasuke couldn't let his brother get away with acting so careless. Everyone was _dead_, not just Mother and Father. Itachi didn't even care about the bodies sprawled over each other as he pulled up the black fabric that covered the bottom half of his face. He tucked himself back into his underwear and zipped up his pants as if nothing had even happened before glancing over his shoulder. Sasuke couldn't help but cringe in fear and duck his head to hide the pure hatred in his eyes._

_            "Foolish brother," Itachi hissed in a deceptively gentle voice over the cracking of wood as the flames grew strong enough for Sasuke to feel the heat. He couldn't even turn his head away when Itachi turned and walked closer to him, each step dangerous and final as it echoed in his ears.  Sasuke couldn't nod his head, but Itachi already had to know the answer. How could he _not_ want to tear Itachi limb from limb, and hating himself for proving his brother right? Father was dead, Mother was dead, and Itachi had done even worse than killed him. It was the lack of power, the kunai in his palm that kept from launching at Itachi. Or at least, that was what Sasuke told himself as Itachi leaned down to touch the side of his swelling face. _

_            "If you wish to kill me, then hate, spite, and survive pathetically," Itachi whispered with deadly seriousness. This wasn't his brother, but an insane killer giving advice to a dying man. Sasuke couldn't even respond as he clenched his eyes closed, not wanting to listen to these words. He wouldn't follow the directions of the man who had wiped out the entire Uchiha clan. Itachi shook Sasuke when he gave no response, forcing him to look at his brother through one eye. _

_            "Run and run, and cling desperately to life," Itachi finished as he pulled his hand back. There was a poetic bit of sanity before his sharigan eyes flashed again, sparkling in Sasuke's eyes before he was aware his 'brother' had left. Sasuke held his breath for a moment before screaming with the pain all over again, arching up on the floor helplessly and drumming his feet against the floor. Everything hurt. Why hadn't Itachi killed him? Sasuke had wanted, been prepared for it. Why did he have to be alive? If only he hadn't been so weak. _

_            It was all because he had lacked the strength to fight Itachi. He had been powerless, unable to even bruise his older brother before Sasuke had found himself in this burning hell. Itachi told him that he was the only one who had survived. All because he didn't have enough strength, the clan had been wiped out. If he didn't have power, he couldn't do anything. He hadn't been able to even protect himself. Sasuke choked on bitter tears, realizing how wretched and useless he was just like Itachi said. _

_            Alone with the pain, Mother's dead eyes locked on his own teary ones. Father's body was bleeding onto Mother's own, still trying to protect her with his corpse, even if there was no life left in either of them. The fire cast enough light for Sasuke to see the red smear of blood and semen on the shorts Itachi had dropped to the floor. He couldn't think of them as his own, because it would hurt too much. Sasuke screamed without abandon now that Itachi was gone, hurting, alone. The fire was his only answer, easily igniting across the polished counters and wood walls as it sparkled in the splatters of blood. Mother stared at him, and Father couldn't even look up from the floor. Dead. _

_            Sasuke clenched his eyes closed, wanting the flames to burn the house, the bodies, and _him_, because to let anyone know what he lived through would be too shameful. Sasuke whimpered on the floor, loosing the strength to even scream, blood crusting around his nostrils and face. Why hadn't Itachi killed him? Why did Itachi want him to live? Why did he _hurt _so much?! _

_            He had to kill Itachi. It was the only answer. He had to avenge his father, his mother, his family, his clan, his honor. Everything had been destroyed by Itachi. Sasuke had to survive because _someone _had to kill this madman. He had to protect the name of the Uchiha. Wouldn't that be what Father would have done? Sasuke couldn't die here, not in the flames of the kitchen with the corpse of his Mother and Father. If his love for his family had meant anything, Sasuke would have to kill his brother. _

_            In a screaming effort, Sasuke forced his palm up against the blade of the kunai until wood creaked and finally it gave. The kunai popped out of the floor and his hand was free, melting off at the wrist and burning and most spectacular colors exploded behind Sasuke's eyelids. He panted weakly, curling his whole body around the hand and clutched it close to his chest. Pain was his life now, the strength he needed to focus his tunneling vision. He couldn't let Mother and Father die like this in their very kitchen without avenging it._

_            He had to live. He _had _to kill Itachi. Sasuke's memories of his Mother demanded that he find Itachi again and pay him back. Father's death demanded retribution. Sasuke's own pain and misery had to be accounted for as well. He had to get out of the house before he burned to death. The Uchiha clan had to be avenged, and Sasuke was now the last _real _descendent. Itachi didn't have a right to the name any longer. _

_            When he finally tried to move, Sasuke thought he would die, the pain from the base of his spine and legs nearly undoing him. The fire was blistering hot now as the roof started to spark and small bits of the rafters floated down, glowing orange. Sasuke used his elbows to drag his hurting body toward the back door of the kitchen. He had to stop and sob every time the kunai still skewered in his hand hit the floor, biting his lip in a vain attempt to keep from screaming until his mouth was just ruined and bleeding as the rest of him. _

_            His head hit the sliding door and Sasuke sobbed openly as he tried to open the light, sliding door. It stuck in the runners and Sasuke had to hit his head against the floor, too exhausted to try again. The fire was starting to roar now as it consumed the rest of the house, growling hot against his back. Sasuke took a deep breath and tried the door again. Miraculously, it slid open and Sasuke used his elbows to drag his battered body out the doorway and onto the front porch. _

_            Sasuke gazed dumbly at the koi pond Mother had cultivated in their backyard, knowing that she would never wake up in the morning and feed the fishes and tend to her garden. His back burned from the heat of the fire, before Sasuke realized it wasn't from the house but small ambers that had fallen onto his back. Sasuke sobbed, squirming and rolling despite the horrible pain from his rear until he fell all the way off the porch and to the soft moss of the garden. _

_            Sasuke couldn't move anymore. Itachi had raped him. He found the word for it, hearing it before when Father explained what they did to Shinobi stupid enough to get caught. He'd been tortured by his own brother. It hurt, bleeding on the cool ground as the house behind him started to roar with the flames licking up the sides and through the roof. At least no one would be able to see that Itachi had ripped Mother open if her corpse burned. _

_            It was a full moon tonight, Sasuke dully noted as he stared up at the night sky, stars splattered across the heavens. Mother was up there now, wasn't she? Or did it take a long time to get to Heaven? Smoke from the house obscured his sight every now and then, drifting up lazily to the sky as it was stained soft pink and yellow by Sasuke's home as the fire from the kitchen spread to the rest of the house. _

_            There was a rustle of wind, or Sasuke's imagination as he grew colder. Had Itachi come back? He couldn't die now, not after crawling all the way out back. Sasuke lay still, hoping that his naked body would be able to camouflage into the darkness despite the white skin he had inherited from Mother. There were distant cries of voices that Sasuke had never heard before, couldn't recognize. _

_            "Fire!" a distant voice called out, probably someone who was walking past late at night. The stars were out and the moon was full, except the smoke from the house was covering the view as Sasuke lay on his back. The ground was wet and cool against his battered body, easily soaking up the blood from his hand and what was still coming from between his legs. His body was starting to absorb the cold of the earth, the brief heat of the fire fleeing his fingers and toes as his lips ached. _

_            Why did Itachi have to do this? Had Sasuke made him angry? Why did Itachi leave Sasuke alive? The questions spun around in his head, but Sasuke thought he might throw up before he could even start to think of the answers. Sasuke didn't even move, just kept staring up at the sky even as he heard leaves rustle in the garden. Itachi was probably coming back to finish the job, and Sasuke wanted it now that his body and his heart were bleeding out his life. _

_            "Here!" A male voice yelled out dangerously close to his body. Silver hair, one eye hidden by a __Hidden__Leaf__Village__ forehead protector slanting across the man's face. Sasuke's eyes rolled up into his head, more tears coming now, except this time they were made of blood. It was probably because of Itachi's technique, the blood in his body still flowing sporadically. Sasuke couldn't resist, couldn't think of anything beyond the distant embarrassment of being naked in front of another person even though the world was turning grey at the edges. _

_            "Uchiha... Sasuke?" the man asked as a hand slid underneath Sasuke's neck, supporting him as he was nothing more than a baby. Sasuke might have offered all the resistance of one as the stranger put another arm under his knees. Sasuke wept openly than, the slightest motion making everything spin and hurt and it _hurt!

            "Sasuke," _the man said his name again, in a rougher manner this time. Sasuke couldn't place it, not quite sure what happened next. He hazily remembered a bit of the ninja team that had come to investigate the fire before he lost consciousness. He… He had already been through this before, hadn't he? This was a dream…_

_             A dream. _

"Sasuke."

            It was someone else's voice. Sasuke awoke in a panic, looking around everywhere in absolute darkness as he launched up from the ground…

            Before he winced at the pain in his side and fell back heavily on his elbow. The ache blossomed in side from a bearable throb to stabbing, electric shocks that made Sasuke's eyes water of their own accord. He sniffed and held the tears back, shifting in the pile of dry leaves underneath his body.  His shirt and arm warmers were gone along with all of the weapons and scrolls hidden underneath. His forehead protector was still on, strangely enough. There was a loose bandage around his side, as if a child had been playing doctor, except the blood soaking the strips of linen was real. At least it seemed to have stopped bleeding. 

            "Sasuke," Naruto demanded insistently, leaning over much closer to Sasuke's side than he expected him to be. Sasuke's hands clenched, wanting a weapon very badly now to kill Naruto with. How _dare _he just strip Sasuke down and take away all of his equipment without even thinking of asking? Sasuke opened his mouth to yell at Naruto, but found his breath to be his undoing as pain exploded in his side, his lungs pressing up on a wound that already hurt enough on its own.

            The dream fled his mind now, ignored and forgotten as Sasuke gritted his teeth and tried to pant through his grimace. Sasuke had had the same nightmare often enough to shake it off easily enough now, when at first it had been very hard to even go outside the next morning after having the dream. Itachi still haunted him even though the scars were almost completely gone now unless Sasuke looked very closely. He had to kill that man to get some closure to his miserable childhood. 

            "Are you okay?" Naruto asked when Sasuke was biting his lip, trying hard not to cry out loud. He wouldn't scream his head off like a girl over a little scratch, no matter how much it had felt like he was going to die. He had a little more pride than that as the last surviving member of their clan than to fall so low. Still, it was a wonder that Naruto didn't notice how much pain Sasuke obviously was in, even if he was trying to hide it. 

            "No," Sasuke hissed out the apparent answer. "Where?" Sasuke asked immediately, figuring to get the speaking done as quickly and with as few words as possible. Anything more and Sasuke felt like he might rupture something inside his body further. It hurt enough already. Stupid of him to fall that short distance onto the sharp pointy thing that he should have expected at the bottom. 

            "Dunno. I found the exit and decided to stay here until you woke up," Naruto explained honestly as he settled back on his heels and draped an arm over each knee. Sasuke blinked around, realizing that they were inside the mouth of a small cave with the large forest covered by night outside. A dark tunnel probably leading back to that pit went the other way. Naruto had already made a camp out of it with a first aid kit that still hadn't been picked up and Sasuke's sizeable collection of weapons, scrolls, and other necessary tools strewn across the soft dirt. There was even a small fire going with some dry branches gathered up next to it for fuel. It was amazing Naruto had been able to do all this without someone telling him to. 

            No matter how messy it was, the effort was far more than Sasuke would have ever expected of Naruto. He had carried Sasuke the entire way, however far it was back to that pit Sasuke had fumbled in. Naruto had even made a small mattress of leaves and moss he must have gathered from outside when Sasuke was bleeding like a stuck pig. It was even close to the wall of the cave to keep the slight evening wind from chilling him. Naruto had actually put some thought into it so Sasuke would be comfortable. 

            To be saved by the _worst _Genin in Hidden Leaf Village history when _he _had been the one keeping them from falling to an early death was the worst humiliation Sasuke had ever suffered. It was very, very frustrating. Sasuke decide to slowly lay back down with ever so much care not to jostle the wound and further, not in the mood to do anything else but curl up and wait for it to stop hurting. His head hit something soft and Sasuke realized Naruto must have put his shirt under his head as a pillow. More things that were starting to put Sasuke deeper and deeper into debt with the idiot. Perhaps Sasuke could count all the times he had saved Naruto before and call it even…

            He sighed, his sense of pride already raging against the thought. There was no way around it. He owed Naruto this time, even if it set Sasuke's teeth on edge to admit it. He almost regretted not dying on the metal pike, because now he was shirtless and thankless, and most certainly didn't want to do a damn thing about it. Silence would always work best and Sasuke could easily pay Naruto back without the idiot ever realizing Sasuke felt like he was obliged to. 

            Besides, if he told Naruto that he had actually done something right for a change, Sasuke would never hear the end of it. He knew Naruto wouldn't forget about it for a long time, and would probably yell out that Uchiha Sasuke had said 'thank you' to anyone with a free ear. If word got around that he had actually made some kind of peace with Naruto, Sasuke would be the laughingstock of the entire village… Not that he even talked to other people much. 

            "Uh… Sasuke?" Naruto asked hesitantly, his voice echoing the silence of the night as the fire cracked and sizzled. Sasuke opened up one eye to glare at Naruto sideways, wondering what the idiot could possibly want now. Didn't he know that speaking _hurt _right now? Anything beyond laying here and trying to figure out how to keep this a secret from anyone else was going to be too much effort for a while. 

            "I wonder if Sakura's all right," Naruto moaned as he stood up from hunching over Sasuke's side to pace closer to the fire. Sasuke wondered if Naruto even aware that he had spoken as the smaller boy bent down and threw another branch on the fire. Sap hissed and popped as it started to melt inside the wood. Sasuke _had given Naruto too much credit. The idiot couldn't even find wood fit to burn. _

            Well, if he _could _have spared the effort to speak, Sasuke would have told Naruto that there was probably nothing to worry about, except if Sakura ran into more of those spiders. She was smart enough to be able to take care of herself. He could trust her not to sit helpless in the forest waiting for them to come back. She had enough wits to head to the gate on her own and meet them there. Following them would only result in Sakura getting stuck on those metal pikes…

            Perhaps he should tell Naruto to go back and check for her body after all. Sakura was just that big an idiot. Who the hell had put together the Genin teams this year must have been drunk at the time. How was he supposed to be able to do anything with an idiot like Naruto and Sakura who only followed him around with the same eyes of every other girl Sasuke had come across? 

            "You know, I could have saved myself. I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting rusty," Naruto lied so badly that it was a wonder his tongue didn't fall out. _'Rusty?!' Just when had Sasuke ever had the _chance _to get rusty? They had missions just about every day of the week, except for the few times Kakashi-sensei didn't even show up to their daily meetings. Of course, Sasuke couldn't yell all of this at Naruto, only lie there and gently breathe with __much frustration. At least Sakura would have hit Naruto by now if she had been there with them. The one time he could have really used the girl and she was missing. _

            "I'm so hungry. I can't wait to get back. Iruka's gonna treat me to ramen," Naruto bragged for what must have been the hundredth time. Sasuke didn't even _like ramen; much less any company Naruto would chose to dine with. Sasuke didn't know why their teacher would show any interest in Naruto. The Chuunin teacher had taken Naruto under his wing nonetheless, showing Iruka must really be crazy underneath that cheerful and polite mask. _

            "What type of ramen do you like? Me, I like…"

            "Shut. Up," Sasuke managed to rasp out between gritted teeth, not caring if he did owe his life to Naruto right now. That didn't mean he had to listen to the idiot go on and on. Didn't he ever just sit still and stay quiet for more than a minute? Naruto made a face at Sasuke before turning back to his fire moodily and poking a stick into the flame sourly. Sasuke sighed, finally getting a chance to close his eyes and try to stop the pounding in his head. 

            The fact that the cave was as cold as death didn't help matters. Even though Naruto had actually managed to build a proper fire, Sasuke felt like it was miles away. Was dying without pain just so much to ask? He felt like he was freezing to death, and Naruto stripping him down to the waist didn't help matters in the slightest. There was no way Sasuke would be able to manage reaching under his head and taking his shirt out. 

_            I think I'm going into shock_, Sasuke assessed, his head pounding with a headache that Sasuke hadn't even felt coming on. Either that, or Naruto was being particularly irritating tonight. Sasuke really wished he hadn't gotten that pike up the side. Kakashi was probably going to laugh when he saw what had happened. Sasuke wasn't even sure if he'd be able to walk tomorrow.

            "Sasuke? What were you dreaming about?" Naruto asked, each word making every last bit of warmth leave Sasuke's body. He shivered, helpless with one hand clenched to his side. Naruto didn't know, he _couldn't_ know. _Did I really cry out?_ Oh, if it had been a little humiliating before, now Sasuke couldn't even look over at Naruto. He gnawed at his lip, trying to think about what normal kids had nightmares about. 

            "My Mother," he answered simply in one rushed breath to avoid aggravating the injury, hoping that it might be enough to get Naruto off his back. The idiot only blinked at him curiously, his mouth open and ready to ask more. Sasuke shut his eyes, hoping that he might pretend to be asleep for the next few minutes. He did _not _want to have this conversation. Naruto didn't have a single clue to the pain Sasuke had been through. This recent wound might hurt now, but it was nothing compared to being confined to a bed for over a month after Itachi had left him for dead. 

            Naruto didn't inquire any further, which was more worrisome than Sasuke would have thought. He peered over at Naruto under the curve of his lashes to see just exactly what the idiot was up to now. Naruto seemed to be mulling Sasuke's answer, his eyes pinched shut as he scratched the front of his chin, deep in thought in front of the fire. Sasuke frowned at this, wondering exactly why Naruto was thinking so hard. Naruto never _thought._

            "But you were screaming… Didn't you like your mother?" Naruto asked out loud after a while, looking over at Sasuke in confusion. It was like a small child asking for an explanation of the most obvious of things. Why did he have to be so weak and start screaming in the first place? If he wasn't so scared of _nightmares, mere fragments of his imagination, he wouldn't have the idiot worrying over him now and asking questions that were more painful than Naruto would ever know._

            "I mean, I don't have one! It's just that everyone else seems to like their parents!" Naruto explained in a rush, shaking his hands in front of him in fear of the look Sasuke didn't even know he was giving Naruto. Even then, Sasuke only tried to glare harder. Just what right did he have to ask about his personal life?

            "Except Sakura," Naruto drawled off in an after thought, scratching his head as Sasuke only stared at him. Naruto didn't know the pain of losing one's mother, because he didn't have parents. Sasuke was guiltily reminded of the many times when he was younger when he would hear other kids and the adults talk about Naruto and glare at him whenever the strange, lonely kid walked by. Naruto had never had anyone love him before, nor had he lost the people who loved him. 

            Sasuke almost envied him. Naruto wasn't burdened down by a family name that had to be continued with pride, no matter what the cost. Sasuke had to kill _that man, and then the tarnish upon his clan's name would be erased. He was responsible for it. He had to be. Sasuke was the only one left to do it. Naruto was free from the responsibility of a family. _

            "Did you hate her?" Naruto asked cluelessly again, surprisingly using the right tense. He couldn't believe that Naruto even knew that his mother was dead. Sakura must have told the idiot. Oh, Naruto didn't know how close he was to death right now. He just had to ask one more question, and Sasuke would kill him no matter what the cost. If only one single weapon was within easy reach of Sasuke's fingertips… 

            Sasuke shook his head negatively, not wanting to spare words on Naruto right now, but knowing if he didn't answer eventually Naruto would ask it again. He wouldn't be able to stand it, not with her memory so fresh in his mind. Not when Sasuke could still recall how her long hair had glimmered in the firelight, how _scared she had looked. Sasuke had to make Itachi pay for her death._

            He felt Naruto staring at him before Sasuke looked over sharply at the idiot. Naruto didn't say anything even though Sasuke was _trying _to glare at him now, blinking like a big, stupid bird as he tilted his head. Sasuke wasn't something to be _studied_, not by this loser.

            "Sasuke, your lips are turning blue," Naruto exclaimed, pointing a finger at Sasuke's mouth. He didn't know what to say, dazed and cold on his bed of leaves. It wasn't like Naruto had done a top-notch job of bandaging Sasuke up either. Naruto had given a good go at it, but like everything else the kid did, it ended in failure. Sasuke probably was going to die, without killing _that man, without making him sorry for killing Mother and desecrating her corpse. _

            "Geez, why do I always get stuck with the weak guy?" Naruto moaned, scratching the back of his head as he sighed again. Just as though he thought Sasuke was a burden! Sasuke had _saved _Naruto from splattering his brains on the bottom of that pit back there and had even gotten a hole punched through him for the ungrateful jerk. Sasuke considered grabbing a handful of the dirt that covered the ground and throwing it at Naruto, but the wound in his side twinged in warning. 

            "I build a fire and everything. Of _course _that bastard would start freezing. Stupid Sasuke, I sho…hit him...jer…ss…" Naruto grumbled off into meaningless complaint as he stood up from the fire. The smaller blonde wrenched down the zipper in the front of his jumpsuit and shrugged out of the shoulders. His arms came free and Naruto hesitated for a moment in his white undershirt, and thoughtfully removed the hidden shuriken holster from around his waist. It was still one more than Sasuke would have ever thought Naruto to carry on any given day. 

            Naruto put his hands down to the waist of his orange jumpsuit and for one horrifying moment; Sasuke thought Naruto might actually be getting naked right now for whatever reason. The blonde idiot had a tendency to not care about little things like common decency. But, instead of going for his fly, Naruto undid a hidden zipper around the waist, detaching the jacket with a triumphant grin. Sasuke wasn't sure if Naruto was expecting a compliment on being able to undress himself or not. 

            "Here," Naruto offered his orange jacket to Sasuke. He only looked at it in disdain, not about to move for Naruto's used clothing even if he was starting to break out in goose bumps. His fingernails might be turning blue, but Sasuke didn't think he could manage sitting up to take the jacket from Naruto right now. Weak, weak, _weak_. How was he supposed to kill anyone when he was shivering like this? 

            "Oh, yeah. Heh, sorry," Naruto reminded himself of something that Sasuke couldn't even guess at as the idiot rapped his own temple with his knuckles. At least he took care of hitting himself for Sasuke. He sighed, rather fed up with his 'nurse' when he had only been conscious for a few minutes. Naruto had a way to frustrate Sasuke more than any wound could. 

            "Okay, then," Naruto announced, snapping out his jacket like it was laundry and with surprising gentleness draped it over Sasuke's chest. He blinked up at Naruto as the idiot grinned like he had done something really meaningful. It was just the stupid orange jumpsuit that Naruto wore everyday. It even smelled like him, no doubt because Naruto rarely did his laundry. Sasuke didn't want the dirty thing on him, the lining inside cold on his skin. 

            "Don't bleed all over it, okay?" Naruto demanded so flippantly that Sasuke took back ever thinking he owed Naruto a single thing! Sasuke make Naruto sorry that he ever saved him just this once when he recovered. He couldn't believe that he was stuck with such a selfish incompetent he was stuck with for a teammate. Sasuke closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on his blood flowing out and getting all over Naruto's jacket. 

            "Uhhhnn… This sucks. I'm going to sleep," Naruto declared, throwing his arms up and flopping onto his back next to Sasuke in the leaves. So, Naruto hadn't brought it in just for Sasuke but had been planning to sleep on the makeshift padding as well. It was uncomfortable to have someone so close to him, even if Naruto had his eyes closed and his mouth open. Sasuke wanted to move away from the idiot, but he would only end up against the cold stone wall of the cave and further away from the fire. 

            At least Naruto's jacket seemed to be holding in some of Sasuke's warmth, heating up slowly to his feverish skin. Sasuke decided to calm his own pathetic discomfort he felt at another person being so close and just try to sleep like Naruto was. There was nothing he could do now but try to heal enough to walk tomorrow morning. When Naruto woke up, Sasuke had better be ready to get out of this stupid Forbidden Area and to a hospital under his own power. He wasn't about to hold _Naruto _back from completing a mission. This was just training, nothing more. 

            Even though Sasuke tried to keep those proud thoughts in mind, the training still hurt. He just wanted to get back to his own tiny apartment and crawl into bed. After a shower as well. Sasuke sighed, trying to relax his shoulders. This was time to rest, not time to worry about matters he couldn't do anything about right now. Shouldn't he be ready to pass out after such an awful day?

            There was a rustle in the bed leaves and Sasuke opened up his eyes to see Naruto roll onto his side, presenting his back. Sasuke couldn't believe his luck. The idiot was moving away of his own accord! Naruto let out a large breath, shifting around before flipping over the opposite way, almost hitting Sasuke in the face with his stupid snub nose. 

            "'scuse… me," Naruto murmured, already sleepy as he rubbed at his eyes like a child up past his bedtime. Sasuke envied the way Naruto could fall asleep so quickly as the blonde fell back onto the leaves and started snoring heavy, completely out now. Sasuke shook his head at Naruto; even he was just staring up at the ceiling of the cave. Sakura will kill to be in Naruto's place, and the idiot didn't even know it.

            He did have a fleeting hope that Sakura was all right. She was all alone out there, probably scared out of her mind from that giant spider earlier this morning. He didn't want to fail this mission. It would be the first one, and Sasuke wasn't about to have that on his record. He didn't graduate top of the class without good reason. Sasuke would have to figure out a way to salvage this miserable failure of a mission…

            Tomorrow. 

*                                  *                                  *

            Sakura considered calling out for Sasuke as she walked along, wondering if they might lucky enough to actually cross paths. Naruto and Sasuke must be heading the same way as she: toward the gate. She wanted to get out of this damn _Forbidden Area as soon as possible. It was a complete hell hole and had only gotten worse with night, but Sakura knew she couldn't afford to rest right now. She wouldn't want to chance getting attacked in her sleep or hesitating long enough to become an easy target. _

            "Ah, this _sucks_!" Sakura called out, throwing her hands down in disgust. She'd slipped in some mud early and now her entire right side, arm, and leg were covered in slime. She had leaves and small brambles _everywhere_, poking her skin inside her sandals, leggings, and hair. It was absolutely miserable and she just wanted to take a bath. Kakashi's training missions were just an excuse to see how hard he could push them before they gave out. 

            Well, she wasn't about to give up. She was going to show Kakashi and Sasuke just how tough she was. She may be completely dirty and ready to collapse into her soft bed, she couldn't give up now. Even if her feet were starting to feel like two big blisters, she had to keep on walking. Staying still would mean her death here. This was no place to whine like a child. She was a Genin, for crying out loud! 

            That still didn't help Sakura from holding in a yelp as she heard the bushes off the left rustle. Her kunai was out but her hand was badly shaking as she held it up to the darkness around her. Why did she have to get separated from Sasuke? Couldn't Naruto have been the one to be all alone in this scary forest? There were giant spiders out there and most likely even worse, things that Sakura didn't even _want _to think about. 

            "I'm ready for you!" Sakura roared out into the trees, hoping that it might scare away any animals and that Sasuke or Naruto might hear her. She didn't know what was waiting to eat her, tear her up and swallow her insides like so many of the other creatures she had seen other Shinobi use. Kakashi's dogs were not the type she'd like to pet or play with on any day. 

            The hiss to her left was all the warning Sakura got. Thankfully, all her training kicked in and the kunai slashed through the air before she even thought about it. Her other hand reached down and behind the small pouch on her lower back. Her fingers fished out the senbon and threw them with a scream before falling back to the right. There was a thump to her left of a body hitting the ground, but she was too frightened to even look at first. 

            _Just what the hell was that__?! Sakura's hands were shaking so badly that she dropped the kunai. She wished it wasn't so dark in this Forbidden Area. She wished Sasuke was here, because he would have sensed the attack long before she ever could have and would do something about it. She just reacted instead of actually thinking about what was happening. It had just been so scary! Wasn't this supposed to be a _group_ activity?_

            Sakura slowly let her eyes travel over the ground and to the dark body with several senbon buried inside. She screamed again in disgust when she recognized a large lizard about the size of a cat as her kill. It had two huge black eyes that were frozen open that were just _creepy_. Sakura was glad she had killed the thing before it had gotten the chance to touch her, or she might have died at the touch. 

            Giant lizards were by far worse than giant spiders. Just what sort of sick freak had been behind this Forbidden Area? She had no doubt that it had to have been a man, because no girl would have thought up this sort of mess. She didn't want to be attacked by the next giant monster to come along. Just as long as it wasn't going to be a snake or frog, she would be all right. 

            At least, Sakura would think so, but it was very likely that even something worse was waiting for her. She shook her hands out and picked up the kunai again. She had killed the thing, so threat was over now. No reason to get so worked up. Sakura wiped the blade off on the soft grass underneath her and tucked it back into the sheath. She may have been able to kill the thing, but it was still frightening to look at on the ground. It was just covered in dirty-looking scales and its mouth was wide open to reveal a set of sharp teeth. 

            The tail twitched in a final death throw, but Sakura screamed and jumped back as far as possible. Who the fuck had thought up man-eating lizards and damn ugly attack spiders?! Why couldn't any of the ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village just be normal? Even though the brains behind this Forbidden Area obviously had to be a deranged fool, Kakashi-sensei was still the worst of them all. He was just plain crazy. Why did she have to get stuck with such a weird teacher?

            Well, she had been lucky enough to be one of Sasuke's teammates. All she had to do now was make her intentions clear and prove herself to Sasuke. Then, he'd totally _have fall in lover with her. How couldn't he, especially if she passed this exam all by herself. If she got through this extremely dark and scary forest with hundreds of unknown monsters and traps waiting for her, he'd have to recognize her strength. _

            Except something hissed up ahead. Sakura spun around with the kunai out once again as her eyes narrowed to peer around the darkness. She wished she had Sasuke's sharingan, because at least then she'd be able to see the chakra of the enhanced creatures. She just had to really on her instincts, which were just as good as any other Genin's. Well, perhaps not Naruto, but that was because he was practically an animal anyway. 

            Several leaves fluttered to the ground in front of her, making the 'hiss' noise as they hit the dirt. She couldn't help a small giggle of relief as she sheathed the knife again and got her legs moving again. She had been so scared only moments ago, and it had only been the leaves falling. She could be such a girl sometimes, but it wasn't a bad idea to be on high alert in this Forbidden Area. 

            "Ouch!" Sakura cried out as something stung a burning line across her arm. She looked down in surprise to find a small red cut. Blinking around at the bushes and trees, Sakura couldn't figure out just what had hit her. The leaves hit again and the sharp edge of one large oval leaf grazed her side and ripped her dress. Sakura stared up at the trees in shock, realize these leaves were sharp enough and strong enough cut her into a hundred little pieces. 

            "Shit!" Sakura screamed as she started running forward to dodge the gently falling leaves. 

*                                  *                                  *

            "Sasuke," whispered a voice that was loud enough to drive a hundred needles into his brain. It was probably Naruto, because only he could be that annoying with a single word. Sasuke didn't even try to respond. His whole body felt like it had shrunk several sizes since when he must have… passed out. Humiliation came in a distant rush since Sasuke was too nauseous to even open his eyes. 

            A hand on his forehead. It was cool and soft, but the touch wasn't gentle like Sasuke could remember the nurse's hand being when he had woken up in the hospital after Itachi had left. Sasuke's head hurt, wavering between knowing that those things were long in the past and being unable to figure out who was looming over him now. His side pulsed with his heartbeat, aching and still bleeding. 

            "You're burning up." The voice sounded like it was reaching his ears from a million miles away, garbled and distant. Someone pressed their fingers against Sasuke's side and he couldn't stop the small moan that got past his lips. There had probably been poison on those metal spikes. Just his miserable luck. 

            Naruto's face swam in Sasuke's vision for a moment, focused as he intently changed the red, soaked bandage for another clean one. Sasuke panted, a little irritated that Naruto was stating the obvious and too sick to do a thing about it. His breath was hard to come by in this terrible dry heat. When had they gone into the desert? Sasuke felt like he was going to throw up. He was grateful when Naruto took his jacket back and pulled it on again, leaving Sasuke to shiver in the cold of the cave to wash away his fever.

            "Wake up right _now_," Naruto hissed again, with a little more urgency this time. Sasuke would have told the idiot to 'fuck off' if his mouth wasn't so dry. His lips were stuck together, frozen and numb most likely from the poison on that spike. Just why did Kakashi send them out on some stupid, mundane training when it involved risking their lives? Weren't they supposed to be precious Genin in a warrior village that had far too few children?

            Well, they weren't all supposed to be complete failures who fumbled on a simple landing. Sasuke would have liked to blame Naruto for throwing off his weight, but that thought drifted out of his reach as his whole body suddenly went icy cold. It might have been because Naruto had ripped his jacket off of Sasuke, or because he was getting the chills from his fever? It was impossible to be this cold even during the night when it was only late summer, so…

            "Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he reached out and grabbed Sasuke by the arm, abruptly in his normal jumpsuit. Sasuke blinked up stupidly as a kunai was shoved into his hand, belatedly realizing he must have passed out. His mind couldn't catch up to what was happening around him, sick and dizzy. His knees were shaking and he couldn't stop it. For one terrifying moment, Sasuke wondering if the poison might be a paralysis, and even worse… If it permanently damaged him. He had seen retired ninjas around the village with limp, useless arms and legs that had been forever destroyed by such poison. He didn't want to be a cripple.

            "You just stay here. Weak guys shouldn't fight, but don't let them eat you just in case, okay?" Naruto advised Sasuke like he didn't even have the clue on how to fight. The stupid idiot was going to get the crap beaten out of him the next time Kakashi let them practice spar. _Wait a moment... 'They?' _Just what did Naruto mean by that? It was enough for Sasuke to twist his head toward the opening of the cave despite the pain in his neck that went the way down to the tight lance of agony in his side. He couldn't see anything at first but the black-green darkness of the Forbidden Area in the middle of the night. If there was a full moon, it didn't reach down here below the towering trees. The only light Sasuke had to see by was the dying fire Naruto had made as it cast flickering orange shadows on the edge of their hiding spot. 

            Except it wasn't the dancing flames that were coming in from the entrance to the cave, but something bigger and more alive. Large and menacing ants with red tinted transparent bodies about the size of Kakashi's smaller ninja dogs. Sasuke couldn't count how many it was with his swimming vision, but the clicking noises of their pincher mouths opening and closing felt like nails being driven into his head. He couldn't escape from the noise of those fine hairy legs scuttling over rocks and leaves and closer to them. Huge black multifaceted eyes stared at the two of them without blinking, trying to consider if they were food or not. 

            "Just watch this, Sasuke," Naruto laughed over his shoulder before Sasuke could try to choke out a warning. These ants had found them to be a source of a food, and he knew that ants didn't usually eat meat nor grow this big. These were more ninja-manufactured monsters and not to be taken lightly by any means. Naruto had a tendency to see the obvious facts shoved under his nose. There was nothing Sasuke could do to stop Naruto as the idiot turned away from him to face the ants starting to swarm into the small hideaway the blonde found. 

            "Kage Bushin no Jitsu!" Naruto called out as he made the hand seals for his usual move. The popping noise the shadow clones made as they burst out of thin air was enough to make half the ants freeze up. The roar of several dozen Narutos as they all reached for their kunai was something else entirely. Sasuke wasn't sure if he could just be seeing things now, but he believed the ants were already trying to run away as the Narutos went in with brute force alone. Everything the idiot did was rough and brash. He didn't even take the time to think of a simple technique that could have just of easily defeated these ants all at once instead of time consuming Taijutsu. Well, it wasn't like Naruto was even using any Taijutsu technique other than his own hand and animalistic instincts to fight with. 

            The shadow clones ran at the ants and Sasuke couldn't tell which one was the real Naruto any more. There were just too many as the same exact blonde idiot tore into the swarming insects without a heed for injury. There wasn't a need to for the clones, but Sasuke knew that there was a real Naruto in there that was far too susceptible to getting hurt in a fight. They couldn't deal with two wounded, hell, Sasuke couldn't even sit up on his own. He was glad that the crowd of idiots seemed to be having no trouble in stabbing vital points on the ants, because Sasuke wouldn't be able to even defend himself now. 

            The insects' bodies started to fall and lie still on the ground as the fight was pushed out of the cave. The same blue sandaled feet jumped over the corpses and added more to it though Sasuke heard the telltale pop of a shadow clone. The fake idiot had probably tripped, though it didn't say much for the single real Naruto in the middle of that mess. Naruto's yells only intensified, as though insects would really respond to be insulted. Sasuke closed his eyes, unable to watch the blurry shadows as they jumped around the edge of the fire without feeling nauseous. 

            He must have passed out again, because the world came back to him in varying degrees of grayness. Sasuke didn't open his eyes, trying to hide the fact he was awake from anyone who might be watching him while he slept just in case. He tried his hands first and found empty palms on his chest, realizing with a sick sensation he must have dropped the kunai Naruto had left behind. Naruto… Naruto was still fighting as he had fainted like any pathetic fool would! He could have been killed by some mindless ant while he slept so carelessly. 

            "Hey, Sasuke, you were supposed to watch me," Naruto snapped in a disapproving voice from above. Sasuke opened up his eyes to see Naruto's upside-down face staring at him as the idiot stood over his head. He was covered in yellow splatters that must be the ants' blood across his arms and chest. The usually energetic face was covered in sweat and smeared with dirt, but Naruto still his usual huge, stupid smile. Even a herd of bloodthirsty ants hadn't been enough to make Uzumaki Naruto tired. __

            He didn't have the usual insult, mainly because his lips were numb from the poison. Naruto just shrugged and bent down to take the makeshift pillow out from under his head. The movement made Sasuke's head spin, aching as though his brain was turning into jelly. If he opened his mouth right now, he'd likely make a fool of himself and vomit. Sasuke couldn't allow that, so he bit into his lower lip and tried to _bear _it as Naruto pulled Sasuke up into a sitting position with his shirt in one hand.

            "Sasuke, are you okay?" Naruto asked, waving a hand in front of Sasuke's face as he stared forward, panting and hurting. Of _course_ he wasn't focusing on anything right now. It hurt to have a bleeding hole in his side. He didn't want to cry out like some weakling in front of Naruto, but it was getting damn hard. Sasuke clenched his teeth and most certainly did _not whimper when Naruto none too gently shouldered him up onto his back. _

            "What are you _doing_?" Sasuke moaned through the pure agony, wondering if it was possible that Naruto was trying to make it _worse with this rough handling. Sasuke tried to hold himself up on Naruto's smaller shoulders, not wanting to hang there like an invalid with a leg on each side of Naruto's waist. Naruto used Sasuke's _own _rope to loop around them both, securing him to the idiot's back. The rope was wrapped low around his waist; Naruto at least _trying _to be mindful of Sasuke's wound._

            "Oh, I suppose you wanna dance around right now?" Naruto snapped back as he looped his elbows under Sasuke's knees with, his pockets sagging with all of Sasuke's weapons. Naruto hefted Sasuke up on his back, making a more comfortable burden out of him. Was Naruto planning on carrying him and both of their equipment out of this miserable Forbidden Area all by himself?

            Sasuke didn't really have an answer for Naruto. The effort of talking would take a little more concentration than Sasuke had to spare. He just closed his eyes and miserably buried his face in the back of Naruto's soft, thick hair, almost exactly like dog's fur. It was a strange comfort in the middle of Sasuke's sick, muffled senses. For a moment, he even forgot that it was Naruto, starting to drift off into grayness again, soft…

            "Here we go," Naruto yelled before launching forward faster than Sasuke would have thought the idiot would been possibly able to, carrying all their gear and himself. It jostled the wound, but Sasuke ignored it. He found a grip on the front of Naruto's shirt and held on, determined not to _need the rope lashed around him. It only got harder when Naruto launched off the ground and went into the trees, landing on one of the ridiculously large branches with uncanny skill for it being pitch back underneath the canopy of the trees. Even if there had been a full moon tonight, none of its light would be able to reach down here. Sasuke didn't want to die in a dark place like this. _

            _Are you really thinking like this? Sasuke yelled at himself, realizing how pathetic and cowardly his thoughts were becoming. It must be the poison, or the fever… Whatever he was sick with right now. Sasuke couldn't tell anymore, too overwhelmed by the way the world was spinning. He glanced around at the bark rushing underneath them as Naruto bolted forward among the branches, the wind whistling in Sasuke's ears. He must be using the trees to avoid similar traps on the ground. _

            It was a sensible plan, but did Naruto think the trees would be free of other dangers, like things worse than those spiders? They were going too fast. Each step sent a stinging, electric jolt of pain through Sasuke's entire right side, from his heel to his fingertips, starting from his side. How could Naruto even be moving this fast? They had two more nights before Kakashi might even show up to let them out of the Forbidden Area. It was useless to rush like this right now, unless Naruto was trying to run himself into exhaustion. 

            "Naruto," Sasuke started before Naruto jumped off the branch, launching off into midair for one sickening moment of freefall. Sasuke nearly bit his tongue off when they landed, his eyes rolling in his head at the impact. Maybe it had been a good idea to tie a rope around them, because Sasuke's arms had turned into water, shaking as Naruto didn't even slow down and continued to run down this new long, wide branch. 

            "Shut up, Sasuke," Naruto ordered without any appreciation for just how hard it was talk right now for him. He was being treated like nothing more than luggage that was supposed to stay quiet in back. Or _on _the back… He really was going crazy with this fever. Sasuke hated being sick. He just wanted to lie down and pray that his skin would stop shrinking painfully tight around his whole body. Naruto wasn't helping by taking the jerkiest, roughest steps Sasuke had ever known a determined Genin to have. He was pathetic. 

            Or, Sasuke was the pathetic one. _He _was lashed to Naruto's back, not the other way around. Sasuke had been the one stupid enough to land on poisoned traps. He was paying for it now with the way his stomach was rolling. Naruto didn't even care, jumping around like a monkey with a skill he hadn't ever shown before. How could he even be moving this fast? Naruto probably was so stupid that he forgot he was carrying Sasuke. 

            "_Walk, damn it," Sasuke growled, not about to be a silent passenger. The thick blonde hair must have muffled his voice, because there was no answer as Naruto shot off the branch again to slam both feet against the trunk of a huge tree the size of the Genin Academy building. Sasuke lost his breath and his grip on Naruto's jacket, staying on the idiot only by the grace of the rope as Naruto pushed off their near-vertical landing to cross to another large branch he could run across._

            Naruto's stupid rushing was only making Sasuke's side ache _worse. Sasuke could feel it bleeding even more than it had before from the jostling of Naruto's dash. If he jumped one more time, Sasuke was probably going to bleed to death. It was amazing that anyone could simply ignore how badly wounded their teammate was, but then again, Naruto had never been known for his sensitivity. _

            So, Sasuke had no choice but to pull his arms over Naruto's bunching shoulders and hope that he didn't pass out from the pain at his side. He wasn't so weak for that, even if he was starting to feel chilled from the wind, too sick to even shiver. He had to hang on, at least for a while longer. 

            Naruto didn't say anything, concentrating on getting to the edge of the Forbidden Area. At least when they got out of the woods, Naruto might slow down to a walk again. Sasuke had to keep from throwing up like a fool until than, even if Naruto's gait made him ill. How did Naruto get around the place when he ran so awkwardly? Sasuke could only hope that the idiot was going fast enough to avoid any creatures waiting for human-sized prey in the trees. 

*                                  *                                  *

            "I made it!" Sakura roared out, tromping forward to the exit gate triumphantly. She was covered in dirt, blood that was for the most part not hers, leaves, cobwebs, cinnamon-scented purple goo that Sakura had accidentally slipped in, and she still had thorns in her hair from the ridiculous giant blueberry bush she had to crawl through. It was almost morning, the sky just starting to turn a faint grey and pink with the premonition of the sun. 

            "Yo, Sakura," rolled Kakashi's lazy voice, waving to her through the tall barbed wire fence covered with paper seals. He was sitting lazily on a larger rock like it was a couch, thumbing through the newest edition of his favorite book. Sakura frowned at the cover: 'Love Love Paradise' indeed. Just what kind of _trash did he drool at when they were fucking risking their _lives_ for his stupid, pointless training?! _

            "Good morning, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura greeted politely, smiling demurely to hide her irritation. She wanted a bath, _now_. Her hair was a complete mess! How was she going to present herself to Sasuke covered with filth from head to toe? She had _thought that killing all of those nasty little creatures back there had been more than her quota to relieve stress… But, Kakashi made her furious all over again for ignoring how terrible she looked. Wasn't he going to ask if she was all right? The asshole!_

            "Well, Sakura, you're the first here," Kakashi informed her dully, not even glancing up from his reading, his left eye still hidden by his head guard no matter how intently he was looking at the book. She grinned, being sure not to look too thrilled at the praise. Damn right she was the first here! She couldn't wait to see Sasuke's face when he saw her standing proud before even a genius Genin. 

            "But, aren't there supposed to be three?" Kakashi asked curiously, glancing up once as her face dropped in disgust. What the _hell_ was he talking about? She deserved to be let out now and get cleaned up. She could come back _then _to wait for those damned idiots to show up. She wasn't the one to fall through that stupid trap! 

            "I got separated from Naruto and Sasuke when they fell through a trap," Sakura explained in a worried voice, making sure to look extremely pitiful. He had to feel sorry for her now! She was the sweet, nice one of his dear Genin team. She had been clever enough to walk ahead of those two when they started arguing. Kakashi wasn't even looking at her, all that effort for _nothing as the bastard continued to read his stupid book. _

            "Please, Kakashi-sensei. I want to take a bath," Sakura begged, not caring if she debased herself. 'By any means necessary' was a favorite saying of hers, especially for times like this. 

            "I'm sure Sasuke and Naruto will want to when they get here," Kakashi assured her. 

            He wasn't letting her out. 

            …

            Sakura tried very hard not to scream, tried very, _very _hard as it felt like her delicate forehead was going to explode from frustration. She clenched her hands into fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. She had gone through a small version of hell, and Kakashi didn't give a shit. Wasn't this his idea of training? Couldn't he congratulate her or something?! The _bastard_!  

            "Oh! Sakura, you're here," Naruto greeted happily from behind her. She turned around, hoping that Sasuke would still be with him. There was Naruto, coming out from the trees covered in sweat and had branches poking out in every direction from his hair. There was a heavy pack on his back-

            "Sasuke! What's wrong with him?" Sakura cried out, realizing that Sasuke was slung on Naruto's shoulders with the idiot's arms hooked under his legs. Why was he unconscious? She ran closer to Naruto as he came forward, noticing that there was even a rope around their bodies to keep Sasuke from falling off. Blood was soaking the left side of Sasuke's shirt and his face was flushed red. 

            "This stupid guy fell on these spikes at the bottom of that hole," Naruto informed her with a shrug that jostled Sasuke's unconscious form cruelly. Had he been this rough with poor Sasuke this whole time? No wonder he was bleeding so badly. Naruto was such an idiot. 

            "Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke's hurt!" Sakura called out, walking nervously alongside Naruto with his sleeping burden. Was Sasuke all right? His lips were a dead, pale blue and his eyes were bruised a dark purple. She wasn't sure what she could do to help Sasuke while Naruto was still carrying him, but she couldn't stop from worrying. What was wrong with Sasuke?

            "Oh? Well, then, we better get back to the village," Kakashi shrugged, not at all as concerned as he should be as he marked his page carefully with an unused seal and tucked it into the front of his vest. That silver-haired freak better open up the gate now, or Sakura was going to beat him to death. If Sasuke died because Kakashi was taking his sweet damn time opening the stupid gate on the bastard's stupid assignments, she'd never forgive Kakashi! Or Naruto either, since he should have been there to stop this from happening to poor Sasuke! 

            "Sakura, you look awful, but you smell good! Are you okay?" Naruto's words hit every sore spot she had right now. If he wasn't carrying Sasuke, she'd have pounded him into the ground. Didn't he have _any _sense at all? She couldn't believe that such an idiot had the piece of mind to chase after her when Naruto was so clearly below her standards. Sasuke was the one Sakura wanted, and she'd strangle Naruto if he had killed her love. 

            "Here we go," Kakashi announced, unsealing the large wooden gates. The twin doors opened far too slowly. Sakura was ready to kick them open, dancing nervously from one foot to the other. Naruto didn't look nearly as eager, panting hard now that she was actually looking at him instead of Sasuke. Had Naruto carried Sasuke the whole way from that pit? That had been barely even to _halfway through that stupid Forbidden Area. _

            "Do you still have him, Naruto?" Kakashi asked as the two of them staggered through the gates. Naruto nodded, not wasting any time as he set out into a slow jog back toward the village. Sakura took one step, hesitantly wanting to run after Naruto, but also wanting to wait respectfully for Kakashi-sensei as he resealed the gate. 

            "Kakashi-sensei, is Sasuke going to be all right?" Sakura asked nervously when Kakashi resealed the gates smoothly, activating the multiple curses on the door with ease. It was no wonder they had assigned such a powerful Jounin to teach Sasuke. She did wonder why such a weird, lazy, insane man was her teacher though. 

            "Are you worried about him? Sasuke's not going to die from something like this," Kakashi laughed, as if the bleeding wound had been nothing more than a splinter. Sakura should have slapped him for having such an uncaring attitude toward his precious students, but also knew that Kakashi was right in a way. Of course Sasuke wouldn't die from a mere training session! He was a genius from the Uchiha clan, after all! 

            "It's going to take a lot more than that," Kakashi murmured in a soft, serious voice so quietly that Sakura almost didn't catch it, but the words were more chilling than she would have liked. Sasuke was strong. He would live to be an old man, right? Sakura had rarely seen any old Shinobi, beyond the Hokage. But, Sasuke wasn't like regular Shinobi. He'd never be defeated in battle, much less a two-day mission that had taken only a night. 

            "Let's go to the hospital," Sakura laughed, hoping to hide her nervousness as she started forward to follow Naruto's path. Kakashi didn't seem to have any expression on his masked face, only one bored eye despite his harsh words. Kakashi followed her slowly; taking his own bored pace as Sakura changed her mind and went to catch up with Naruto. She really couldn't trust the smaller blonde to take Sasuke to the hospital safely. 

            "A lot worse." 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: And I realize I just wrote incest… ewwwww… In reality, I'm waiting to finally meet my friend's brother so I can kick his ass for being a sick pervert (in the bad way. I'd like to think I'm a 'good' sick pervert. At least I'm creative in the disease. Actual physical perversion: no!). I personally hate it when people use a lot of Japanese in the writing, but I wanted something that sounded cooler than throwing doohickeys and needle thingies. I researched my ass off for this one, so don't berate or hate me for it. Please. On another note, don't we love artistic license? There's my own embellishing touch on Sasuke's story, but that's what fanfics are for! I just read some William S. Burroughs, so I'm thinking of doing episodic installment things, minus the heroin. Read Port of Saints- it's an hour and a half of adjectives, nouns, bad grammar and rampant gay sex. There's hope yet to get published! 


	2. I still believe in your eyes

Disclaimer: Naruto and other characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi and other such  
lovely Japanese producing companies, not me. Does the world of Naruto have elevators? For fan fiction... yes!  
  
Sasuke slowly opened his eyes, a slight ringing in his ears as grey fuzz filled all his senses. Blinking away the grogginess, he became aware of the ceiling and the heavy way his lungs were moving, like it was an effort to simply provide air. Sasuke crossed his eyes to look down at the mask placed over his mouth, plastic fogged up from his own breath. With a hand that felt like it weighed a hundred pounds, Sasuke grabbed the mask with a limp fist and dragged it down until it sagged off his chin. That was all he could manage before his arm fell back at his side heavily.  
Fresh air. It tasted and felt so much better than whatever was being pumped through that mask. Sasuke became aware of the hospital bed by small bits and degrees, a needle shoved into his wrist as something was pumped into him from a clear plastic bag hanging from a metal stand above him. Probably filling him full of more drugs, from the heavy and sluggish response of his body. Sasuke didn't think he needed anything else, already confused and disorientated upon rousing. He hated waking up in the hospital, always alone with no answers. He wasn't even sure what had happened this time, whom had beaten him up hard enough to land him in the hospital.  
Sasuke turned his head on the pillow, looking out the window that he knew would be to the side of his bed. He had more than enough visits here to become familiar with the rooms. The familiar mess of brightly-colored roofs and wires met his eyes, assured Sasuke that everything was still firmly intact. The village wouldn't look so peaceful if Itachi had been here. Sasuke would probably be dead if his brother had showed up, the certain defeat and undeniable weakness hurting worse than the ache of his body.  
"Sas...." whispered a soft voice to his other side, so unexpected that Sasuke was sure his heart stopped. He rolled his head over, half- afraid of what he might see.  
"Sashimi and ramen," Naruto mumbled out the order in his sleep, his head bent back over a chair by Sasuke's bedside. Sasuke couldn't help but stare at the blonde, a bit of drool trailing out of the corner of his mouth as the idiot kept on dreaming. There was always a simple chair in the hospital rooms, for worried family and friends. No one had ever sat there before, and Sasuke hadn't expected any differently. And of all people, Naruto was the last person he would consider.  
He vaguely recalled being carried on the shorter boy's back, his memory filled with holes after that. Big insects, that damn Forbidden Area, Sakura yelling out...Naruto taking care of him. That little piece of knowledge cleared up the rest of the cobwebs filling his head, his whole night with Naruto coming back in a flash. Sasuke groaned as he recalled falling on the typical spikes at the bottom of the pit like an idiot. What was even worse was the concern Naruto had showed, the caring that Sasuke hadn't experienced in years.  
"Sasuke?" Naruto yelled, the unexpected loud outburst hurting Sasuke's ears as he rolled his head away on the pillow. He blinked up wearily at the familiar scarred face shoved up in his own, big blue eyes staring at him in honest worry. Sasuke felt himself drawn in, getting lost in the depth of the color; just as if he was staring straight up at the sky and suddenly forgot that he was even standing on the ground. Such open emotions in those eyes, enough to make Sasuke jealous that Naruto could actually feel something that strongly. He had gone numb a long time ago.  
They had him on too many drugs. That much was clear from the dizzy path his own thoughts were taking. Sasuke opened his mouth to tell Naruto to 'shut up,' but found his throat so dry and sore that he could only gasp and try to weakly cough. The much movement made his head ache and collapse in on itself with pain. It was hard to breathe all of sudden, his chest shrinking in size as Sasuke gagged on what little air he could draw in.  
"Sasuke! Sasuke! Oh, man, don't do this right now. I'm gonna get in trouble again," Naruto pleaded, his words barely reaching Sasuke's ears. A hand wrapped around the back of his neck to hold his head steady as Naruto shoved that despicable air mask back over his mouth. Sasuke raised up his hands, trying to fight it off lamely as Naruto struggled to get the mask back in place. Just doing that much made Sasuke feel like his arms were going to fall off. His side screamed pain, his breath wasn't coming, and Naruto's panicked screaming wasn't helping at all.  
Sasuke must have blacked out for a moment, because suddenly Naruto was looming in his vision and the awful breathing mask was back in place.  
"Are you-"  
"Demon! Get away from him!" yelled another voice, female this time. Naruto made a guilty squeak and turned around, moving out of Sasuke's vision. He couldn't quiet manage to lift his head, still trying to get his bearings together. All he could do was listen as what was apparent the nurse screaming her head off.  
"How did you get back in here?! Security, that monster is in here again!" the woman cried out down the hall, the door slamming shut. Sasuke heard Naruto murmur something that sounded like a curse, followed by useless panicking. Though it cost him a lot of effort and no small amount of pain, Sasuke got up on to his elbows to see the mess exploding in his hospital room. The nurse had a hand on Naruto's arm and was trying to forcibly drag the smaller boy out the door; though he was not about to budge so easily, his sandaled feet were fixed to the ground like he'd taken root. Two unfamiliar Genins were standing in the hallway, frowning in and obviously waiting to see if their assistance was really needed. Naruto was still a kid after all, even though he had the Nine-tailed Demon stuck inside.  
"Damn!" And with that, Naruto was ducking out underneath the nurse's arms and shot out the door too fast for the Genins to even anticipate. They yelled and chased after the maniac laughter echoing back to Sasuke's room, him and the nurse left in stunned silence. Sasuke suddenly noticed the dark grey of the room and the suffocating closeness of the walls and ceiling hanging over his head. The nurse seemed colorless in her white uniform and plain black hair, turning back to him with a smile that looked dead. It was quiet in his room again, enough to hear the beep of the machine keeping track of his heart rate. Just how many wires did they have shoved into him right now?  
"You're very lucky to be alive. Your wound was getting infected, but thankfully your teacher brought you here before there was any serious risk," the woman chatted gleefully about Sasuke having a hole in his body. She was babbling, irritating Sasuke to no ends with her nasal, high-pitched voice. Sasuke didn't want to hear about how he had been a complete idiot and fallen on a spike at the end of what should have been a perfect fall. And to be saved by Naruto, of all people! The one person Sasuke absolutely couldn't stand; couldn't bear to owe anything to him. Just how long had Naruto been in here, if the nurse had been yelling about the shorter blonde being in here 'again.'  
"I'm so sorry about that demon. He just won't leave here and we catch him messing around with everything!" the nurse exclaimed as if she had been reading Sasuke's thoughts.  
"He's not a demon," Sasuke rasped out, his voice muffled by the air mask. The nurse stared at him in surprise, which Sasuke himself felt no small amount of. His mouth had just moved on its own, defending Naruto without a second thought. Not that he didn't enjoy correcting this nurse, but Sasuke wished it could have been something other than that blonde idiot.  
"Well, you can just lay back and relax. We're going to take good care of you," she recovered nicely enough, as if Sasuke had just been babbling. She smoothed out her uniform and adjusted the papers on her clipboard before turning to equipment monitoring Sasuke and starting copying down those meaningless numbers. Sasuke sighed heavily and absently took in the light blue yukata the hospital had put him in. It was sagging open, showing the clean, crisp bandages wrapped around his side. He shifted and became aware of a burning discomfort between his legs.  
"Wait... Wait a second, am I...?" Sasuke couldn't even bring himself to finish the question, his eyes following one of the tubes from his bedside to a large plastic bag filled with light-yellow liquid. The nurse followed his panicked gaze and smiled warmly, as if that would be of any help at all.  
"Yes, I'm afraid that's going to have to stay in for a while, too," she said firmly, but with a reasonable amount of sympathy in her voice. It didn't stop Sasuke from wanting to kill the well-mannered bitch. He didn't want a catheter shoved up inside him, didn't want to be stuck in this hospital all alone, sick and weak. He glared up at her for all the good that it did him, wishing that Naruto had wrecked a little more havoc in his escape.  
"Oh, do you want something for the pain?" the nurse asked, misreading his look completely. A needle was out and stabbed into the crook of his elbow before Sasuke could even protest. There was the painful, icy cold feeling of something being pumped into his bloodstream, killing any protest Sasuke tried to voice. The effect was almost immediate: his body not so heavy anymore, things not so important. He thought there was something to be worried about, something that he should be concentrating on, but Sasuke couldn't remember what it would be for the life of him. Sasuke was pretty sure that the pain hadn't been so bad to need drugs this good, but he promptly even lost that little rational thought.  
"There you go," the nurse said, but her words took so long to get out she might have well of sounded like a man, the baritone of the voice echoing in his ears. She arranged him back into a suitable position on the bed, pulling up the sheets and combing back Sasuke's hair with her fingers. He couldn't even flinch away from the long, manicured nails as she smiled at him. Sasuke became entranced by the glossy red of her lips, glistening with makeup underneath the lights. Hadn't mother worn that one time? Sasuke drifted between happy memories and a grey fog, which the nurse observed with a predatory grin.  
"Sasuke-kun, was it? I might be seeing you later," she laughed, a high-pitched agony that he couldn't escape. She tapped his nose playfully, sending his head tumbling off into one thousand vibrations. Sasuke promptly lost all focus in his vision, things blurring as he listened to the click of the nurse's heels before the door opened and shut. A buzzing silence, then a beep as a machine recorded his heartbeat. Sasuke thought this might really be hell, unable to move his head on the pillow, staring out the glass window to the rooftops of the village.  
He started to drift, eyes fluttering close despite all efforts.  
"Geez, I thought she'd never leave!" Naruto cried out as he slid out from under Sasuke's bed. He woke up at that, left staring in complete disbelief as his teammate stood up at his side, blocking Sasuke's view of the window. The sun behind the stupid idiot's back gave him a golden glow, highlighting that unique face in a way that Sasuke hadn't noticed before. This had to be a hallucination from the drugs. The idiot had been chased out only seconds ago! Then, Sasuke lamely remembered that Naruto's best ninjitsu was shadow clones. He couldn't even think straight after that damned shot.  
"How do you feel?" Naruto asked as Sasuke looked down at the air mask covering his mouth again. Sasuke couldn't even comprehend the question; much less answer it with that thing strapped around his face. He hated the feeling of it, the wet heat of his breath trapped underneath the plastic. Apparently, Naruto figured the same and actually helped Sasuke this time by pulling the mask down for him. Sadly enough, Sasuke didn't think he could manage it himself right now, drugged up to his eyeballs. Naruto stood back, freezing up as a male voice yelled out something on the other side of the closed door to Sasuke's room; then relaxed when the man passed without incident.  
"I wanna... go home," Sasuke whispered out miserably, his throat starting to swell in reaction to whatever that nurse had given him. The drugs be making him feel so vulnerable, so hurt and aching right now that he would even beg Naruto to help him. He didn't want to stay here a moment longer for that nurse to come back and play around with him while in a hazy stupor. He just wanted to go back to his dark, lonely, one-bedroom apartment and curl up for a long sleep. His own bed, his own home, and he would feel at ease.  
Apparently he had started to slide toward unconsciousness again, but was jerked out of it by Naruto pulling out an IV needle from the inside of his elbow. The slight pain helped him focus on staying coherent, refusing to let his eyes close again. Naruto pulled off the other cords and pads strapped to Sasuke's chest and arms. He was thankful that he didn't need to say any more than that for Naruto to help him. Strangely enough, the blonde idiot was surprisingly reliable. Sasuke knew that Naruto would see to it that he got home; though if it would unnoticed, they still had yet to see. Thankfully, he had the strength to sit up and throw the sheets off, but after that Sasuke could only waver around his center of balance, everything slightly tilted and rounded.  
Whatever had been in that needle was damn good. Pain wasn't even comprehendible to him right now. Sasuke felt himself smile and couldn't even stop it, just happy at the moment like he hadn't been in years. Meanwhile, the machine monitoring his heart starting chirping out a warning when it no longer detected anything. Naruto yelled and panicked for a moment before reaching over the hospital bed and simply shoving it over. There was a final beep before it died, and amazingly enough no one came running in immediately at the disturbance. They must have thought that with Naruto gone, there was really no reason to watch over a patient that should be unconscious.  
"Uh, Sasuke?" Naruto's voice came creeping in at the sides of awareness. He sniffed, forcing himself to look at the shorter blonde at the end of his bed. Naruto was staring at the tube Sasuke had become aware of only a few minutes before, going underneath the hem of the hospital robe and up his legs. Sasuke grimaced, in no shape to be yanking things out of his body- especially in such an important area- but, still reached forward with a visibly shaking hand. Naruto actually laughed softly at his attempt, then reached down between the folds and pulled at where he had no business, folding and pinching the tube with his other hand to keep it from spilling.  
  
Sasuke bit his own tongue to keep from crying out, the pain an all- consuming agony that he felt even through the drugged fog. He curled up around the hurt emanating from his groin, capturing one of Naruto's arms between his chest and legs but currently in no state to care. His side burned in protest, little fingers of pain clawing up and down his torso, but it paled in comparison the current ache in his bladder. Sasuke panted weakly, fighting off pain tears that he couldn't stop for the life of him.  
"Uh, sorry about that..." Naruto trailed off weakly over Sasuke's tense form, obviously feeling bad that he had caused this. Sasuke couldn't even listen, too pissed right now. Couldn't the idiot have tried to be just a little bit slower or gentler? Regardless of how awkward it had been for that split-second that Naruto's warm hand had brushed over his thigh...He wasn't really thinking like this, was he? It was the drugs, that damn injection that was starting to working again, numbing the ache down to a distant throb in his awareness. Sasuke was already forgetting why they had started pulling out all the wires in the first place.  
"Man, this isn't gonna work," Naruto grumbled, looking down at Sasuke's unresponsive body. He tugged his arm out from the press Sasuke had created around it, shaking out his hand before using it to tie a knot off in Sasuke's catheter and toss it to the floor. Sasuke stayed in a tight ball, feeling that it alleviated the pain a bit if he just kept his breathing shallow. Naruto scratched at his hair, frowning down at Sasuke with his eyes closed in deep thought. It went silent in the room, and for a second Sasuke was worried that Naruto might actually hurt himself from thinking too hard.  
"I've got it!" Naruto suddenly declared, almost too fast for Sasuke to comprehend; he started for the door and was gone before Sasuke could get a word in. So, he just lay there on the bed, slightly chilled without the sheets in the stale hospital room; but no longer in much pain. His side was burning, bandages starting to itch insistently underneath the hospital robes. Sasuke was finally able to sit up on the mattress with his knees sprawled out on either side of him, only able to wait impatiently for Naruto to return. He was almost feeling like he could walk out the door himself, except his legs were trembling like wet noodles. He turned to look out the window again, trying to figure out if it was mid-morning or mid- afternoon from the little activity he could spot going on in between the buildings. People were no more then little blurs of color moving through the roads, like ants as they hurried along with their errands. It mesmerized him, Sasuke unable to imagine how anyone could live in the ninja village and still go buy groceries like a normal person. If they knew any ninjitsu at all, they should be training to become stronger, not dulling the senses with restaurants and drinking.  
Sasuke wondered dully if this was this how Itachi saw things.  
"Are you ready for your ride?" asked an incredible cute and slightly slurred female voice, obviously flirting. Sasuke turned around on what he expected to be another irritating nurse to see Naruto... transformed into his patent 'Sexy no Jitsu' and wearing a uniform a few sizes too small. Sasuke tried very hard not to look at the breasts Naruto had no right imitating as they strained at the fabric. The now long-haired, pig-tailed blonde pushed a wheelchair into the room, winking at Sasuke in a way that made him uncomfortable, at least when Naruto was in this form. Where had he even managed to find the white, one-piece dress that was riding up, only centimeter away from baring it all as the blonde turned around to close the door? Sasuke jerked his head away, moaning at the unbalance it caused.  
"Am I totally brilliant or what?! Nobody is going to suspect us now. Get on," Naruto squealed out in that irritatingly cute voice of his, gesturing at the chair with his fake boobs bouncing around. It wasn't like Naruto would be able to steal a bra as well. . . Sasuke found renewed hatred for this jitsu, beyond the burning fact of the matter that it worked most of the time. There were so many perverts in the village, and Sasuke was most certainly not going to be added to the list. He dreaded to think about all the study time Naruto had put into this disguise for that body to seem so real.  
Sasuke dragged himself over to the edge of the mattress, managed to get his feet on the floor, and promptly start to pitch forward to the floor. Naruto caught him underneath both arms, shoring Sasuke up long enough to get a firmer grip. At this distance, Sasuke suddenly noticed the deep sky-blue of Naruto's eyes, even though they weren't even looking at him. Naruto even smelt good, though it was a mix of dirt and cleaning oil for weapons. It was a hundred times better than the sterilized hospital, detergents and medicine stinking up the place. Not what one would be expecting from the form Naruto was taking right now, but Sasuke enjoyed it all the way to the wheelchair; stumbling and wobbling along as his teammate mostly carried him.  
Naruto directed Sasuke into the seat, the controlled fall still making his vision go all spotty. Colors, blurred and borderless as they went by. Just what was this? Could Sasuke blame the warm feeling in the pit of his stomach he had been trying to fight down the past couple of months on the drugs? Just because Naruto had actually been at his bedside when Sasuke had woken up didn't mean that he was going to start feeling something! They were just teammates, nothing more- despite all the countless times they all had put their lives on the line for one another. The situation demanded it, on a ninja mission. Sasuke wasn't about to get friendly with Naruto, the village's number one idiot; 'the biggest fucking screw-up in Konoha history,' as Sakura had adeptly put it once. An Uchiha didn't have friends.  
"And we're off!" Naruto yelled it out, surprisingly enough not drawing attention to their room. Sasuke didn't complain, didn't even voice his displeasure as Naruto rolled him forward through the exit by pushing the pedals underneath Sasuke's feet against the door and forcing it to swing open. They paused, with Naruto leaning over Sasuke's chair to check the hallway once again for anyone coming. Things seemed safe, since Sasuke couldn't really see anything far away at this point, and Naruto pushed him toward the elevator. They quietly went past other closed doors, the hallway stifling and cold. Not even Naruto dared to disturb the silence as they approached the elevator lobby. An empty chair was the only witness to their escape as Naruto wheeled him in.  
Sasuke reached out and hit the first floor button on impulse, feeling better now. In fact, even better than better. He felt pretty fucking good, idiotically happy. He as becoming fonder of their nurse by the minute, even his abhorrence for any sort of drug or intoxicating substance out of mind. He was in a whole other world right now. The movement of the elevator going down made him feel like he was going up. What a contradiction. He loved it, listened to the hum of machinery above their heads as if lowered them.  
Their too-clean escape was brought to a halt by the doors opening on second floor to let a slightly pudgy, older doctor in. The fat bastard could have used the walk down the stairs, but instead chose to come in with a rather disturbing smile on his face. And why not, with a dazed kid in a wheelchair and a sexy nurse? The doctor was looking every inch of Naruto's jitsu up and down, practically drooling. Did other men have any shame at all? Apparently not, as the doctor reached over to hit the button for the first floor, his hand straying toward Naruto as the doors closed. Sasuke sighed, not really wanting to see where this line of inappropriate touching would go.  
The doors opened to let them out, Naruto pushing Sasuke a little faster than necessary as they left a doctor laid out on the floor with a large, swelling and smoking lump on his head. It was what he deserved for hitting up on Naruto in his 'sexy form.' They made it through the hospital lobby with several appreciative looks sent Naruto's way. Sasuke just tried to slump further back into the chair, hoping that he wouldn't be recognized right now and that Naruto wouldn't screw up like usual. Sasuke wasn't sure if he should be impressed or not when Naruto actually managed to get them outside with any further incident.  
"Well, where's your house? Sasuke?" Naruto demanded in that fake cute, squeaky voice, shaking the handles of the wheelchair when he didn't answer immediately. Sasuke swallowed, trying to remember the name of the street he lived off of and failing. He pointed forward, pretty sure that it was the way to his house but unable to see that far clearly.  
"No, that's just back at the hos- oh, never mind," Naruto finally spat out as he saw Sasuke was in no place to give directions. The effort would be wasted on the idiot anyway, since Naruto couldn't find his way out of a paper bag. Sasuke was content enough with being out of the hospital, though he didn't enough the sun at this moment. It was too damn bright for Sasuke to take right now, even worse than usual. Curse that shot the nurse had given him. Naruto didn't know the full extent of what he had probably saved Sasuke from. Now, if the blonde actually managed to get him to a safe place where Sasuke could finally just sleep this one off, everything would be just fine.  
There was a sharp whistle and Naruto's indignant huff told Sasuke just who it had been directed it. They were incredibly out of place with Sasuke in the pale hospital robe and riding the wheelchair; along with Naruto who was giving half the men they walked past nosebleeds. Sasuke tisked at everyone's idiocy, wondering just why the hell Naruto's sexy no jitsu seemed to work- at all! If any personnel from the hospital wanted to find him, they would just have to follow the trail of horny men collapsed in the street. Sasuke just wanted them to get to whatever destination Naruto had in mind, as soon as possible. He couldn't bear to out among the people with Naruto in this form, in that dress, with everyone staring.  
"Hey, we're going to walk by, so, do you want some ramen, Sasuke?" Naruto was nearly begging with him, obviously hungry only for himself. No way in hell was Sasuke going to suffer through the blonde eating as well. He couldn't see three feet ahead of himself, he felt nauseous, and Naruto mentioned food. He hated this, almost frustrated to the point of crying.  
"No," he hissed out, but every ounce of hate and determination into that single syllable. Naruto sighed heavily behind him.  
"You're no fun," Naruto pouted behind him, and if possible, it was even more irritating than usual because of the female version. At least it didn't seem like Naruto was going to stop for food as Sasuke half-feared. Instead, they continued down through the roads of the villages, taking a few crisscross paths and back alleyways that Sasuke would have never considered navigating a wheelchair through. Konoha was a pretty clean village with few slums, but that didn't help Sasuke from feeling uncomfortable with only the squeaking of the chair as Naruto pushed him around.  
"Here we go," Naruto announced, pulling up in front of a large building that was in need of more than just a few repairs. He guessed that this must be Naruto's apartment complex, slowly blinking as he realized he had never once asked where Naruto lived. Sasuke only caught the vague impression of peeling red paint and boarded-up windows before Naruto wheeled him underneath the sagging overhang and started to struggle with the front chair. After a fair wrestling match, Naruto managed to drag Sasuke through the door in the most brutal, jerking manner. He was getting close to his limit now, his body starting to feel uncomfortably warm. He just wanted a bed to lay down flat in, too nauseous to bear being upright any longer, and of all things, Naruto had to start whistling.  
"Please, stop that," Sasuke begged softly, whatever song Naruto was trying to make piercing his eardrums with each note. Naruto made a frown, which looked more like a pout in his current form. He let go of Sasuke to let him slowly roll to a stop a few feet away, pressing the button for the elevator before crossing his arms under two...very large breasts, jiggling around like pudding when Naruto started tapping his feet in frustration. Sasuke noticed now that Naruto still had his sandals on despite the nurse's uniform, a contradiction he sneered at. The idiot really sucked at transformation jitsus, not even able to do the whole thing the right way when he was already going to such an extreme.  
"Damn it, Sasuke, I'm helping you out and you're still a jerk! Can't you say 'thank you, Naruto' once in a while?" He screeched out, doing a fair impression of Sasuke's deep, icy tones. Sasuke just stared at the blonde, unable to process Naruto's words right now. It wasn't as if the idiot ever said anything worth listening to: 'Hokage, Hokage, I'm going to beat you, Hokage.' Naruto would be easy to do an impression of, if Sasuke wasn't drugged to the gills. The elevator dinged before Sasuke could think of anything acidic enough to return to that little comment; and Sasuke found himself back to being pushed into the small lift like a piece of luggage.  
"I get you away from the hospital, I'm gonna take care of you since you can't even count to five right, and you're still bitchin,'" Naruto made a list of complaints, ticking fingers off in front of Sasuke's face as hit the button for his floor. Was it just him, or was Naruto acting even more like a whiny little girl right now than as per usual? Sasuke closed his eyes, wishing that this nightmare would just end. He hadn't asked for Naruto's help, the blundering idiot just offered it and went off running before Sasuke could say anything else. So then, he was stuck in a strange place with Naruto as the only person he could actually depend on for now. Things would look better once he slept the shot the nurse had given him.  
The doors opened after what had seemed like an eternity, and Naruto had Sasuke out and rolling down the large, open hallway. He could see treetops at the end of a balcony, the open sky messing up Sasuke's sense of depth. It was a good thing he was in the wheelchair or he would have fallen. As it was, Sasuke moaned and simply endured the bumpy ride as Naruto finally stopped in front of what must be his door. Then, nothing happened. Absolute silence, no sense of Naruto doing anything else, forcing Sasuke to sit up.  
"What are doing, you idiot?" Sasuke wheezed out before he caught sight of the bright orange, blue, and black spray paint smeared across the door.  
Monster.  
Leave, loser!  
Demon fox.  
Get out!  
All in big letters, effectively cutting off anything else Sasuke would have said as he simply stared. Naruto did have the nine-tailed demon fox inside him, and now that he knew, it seemed the old rule of silence had disappeared as well. Sasuke had noticed it before, the usual silent glares that were sent at their Genin team turning into outright curses, but nothing more. At least, not that Sasuke had known of. It wasn't as if they were good friends, or that Sasuke would have even cared to listen to Naruto's problems.  
And now, staring at the graffiti that was still dripping wet on Naruto's door, Sasuke felt guilt so tangible he might be sick. There was nothing he could say. Even though they both lived alone, and neither of them had any family, at least Sasuke had his clan's name and heritage. People tended to respect an Uchiha, or feared him because of the massacre Itachi had left behind. Naruto just had a monster inside of him, had been born with a demon sealed inside. Kakashi had said that one day it might even become Naruto's strength, but right now, it looked like nothing more than a source of pure pain.  
"Stupid bastards. They think that's gonna stop me from being Hokage?" Naruto laughed it off with a giggle, looking much more sophisticated in this female form. Correction. Naruto still had his insane, impossible dream of becoming the number one ninja in the village. As if that was possible with him being such an incredible screw-up on every mission. If Sasuke remembered correctly, Naruto had been the reason why he ended up at the hospital in the first place. Even so, he didn't deserve this mess over his door, the spray paint not likely to come off anytime soon.  
"Well, welcome to my place, you ungrateful ass," Naruto announced cheerily as he opened up the door to the small apartment. Sasuke was wheeled into the center of a one-bedroom apartment, one corner serving as the kitchen with a sink and table while the opposite was a large bed. In between was an explosion of scrolls, trash, kunai, clothing, and used ramen cups. The wheelchair wouldn't be able to go an inch further in this mess without breaking something or toppling over. The door was locked before Naruto sighed heavily in relief.  
"Dispel," he shouted out suddenly behind Sasuke. He twisted his neck around to see a cloud of smoke evaporating to show Naruto back in his regular form, minus the oversized nurse's dress. Naruto was chuckling nervously in the center of it, scratching the back of his head as he noticed Sasuke looking at him. Sasuke didn't say anything, blinking at the boy as his face reddened.  
"I had to wear it so we could escape! Damn it!" Naruto yelled, reaching down to tear the dress off and toss it carelessly to the edge of the room. "Damn it!" Naruto kept cursing as he turned around, stomping past Sasuke without a stitch of clothing on. Was that supposed to better?! Sasuke would prefer the dress to Naruto's tanned skin, taunt and compact muscles, curve of his backside and butt shown off to the whole world...his face was not starting to heat up.  
Sasuke was not blushing.  
He clenched his eyes shut, sat with a back straight as aboard despite the sedative that was spreading through his whole body. What was he doing, looking at Naruto...at all?! He was an avenger, didn't have time for silly things like friends or love like Sakura and Naruto were always barking about. Those two couldn't live without someone else constantly praising them; unlike Sasuke who had learned better. The moment someone became important, that also meant they were a liability. Sasuke wasn't going to lose anyone close to him ever again, and the best way to do that was by keeping everyone at arm's length. So, just why had he allowed Naruto to take him home, succumbing to dugs he could have fought if he concentrated harder, doing his best not to think about Naruto jumping around the place naked.  
"Um, Sasuke?" Naruto trailed off, sounding much closer than he had been expecting. Sasuke jerked upright, finding the stupid idiot almost nose to nose with him, big blue blinking back at him. Sasuke felt like he could get lost in the depth of those bright eyes. Just how could he still look so innocent when he had graffiti on his door? How could Naruto possibly be concerned with him when he had to know that the whole village hated him, except for a handful of other people?  
"Are you okay?" Naruto asked with one eyebrow arching up in suspicion. He stood up, allowing Sasuke the space to breathe. The blonde was now wearing a plain white t-shirt with the konoha symbol on the chest in red. He had a pair of shorts on as well, and Sasuke wondered if he should compliment the idiot on being able to dress himself.  
"Yes...yeah, I'm fine! Why?" Sasuke hissed out, wondering if Naruto had caught the way Sasuke had been staring at him. He still couldn't even believe it himself, couldn't understand why he had suddenly been embarrassed to see Naruto naked. They were both boys, so it wasn't like Naruto had anything Sasuke hadn't seen before, but it was still...uncomfortable. He didn't expect to get mesmerized by seeing another human body naked, after spending so many years alone. Why did it have to be Naruto?  
"You just want to sleep, man? You're not looking too good," Naruto was blunt, as always. Sasuke frowned but said nothing more, hoping that it could all just be accounted to whatever had been in that shot. He'd hate to consider the consequences otherwise. It took a bit of effort, but Sasuke managed to push off of the wheelchair with his arms, standing there in triumphant victory before his knees gave out. He heard Naruto curse before one arm was grabbed and Sasuke was hauled up. Naruto hooked Sasuke's arm around his neck and held him up by the waist, Sasuke embarrassed beyond all belief that even after sitting down for the whole ride, he couldn't walk.  
His side screamed out at the awkward angle Naruto was holding him at, pain lancing up all the way to his throat. Sasuke started sweating immediately, trying to hold in any noise his pathetic mouth wanted to make. This was nothing compared to that time; how could he call himself an Uchiha if this hurt? It hadn't even been a ranked mission, but a simple training session and he had still managed to nearly get killed. Naruto had saved him then and was doing so again right now.  
Sasuke was tossed and fell onto a bed that was much softer and clean smelling than he would have ever thought anything in Naruto's place could. The feeling of a pillow underneath his head and blankets underneath him already had Sasuke closing his eyes and falling to sleep just like being in his mother's arms... What a strange, old memory to drift off to.  
  
Sasuke was already dead asleep by the time he finishing hitting the bed. He left Sasuke there, figuring that it was hot enough today for Sasuke to be comfortable in the hospital robes he was still wearing. Naruto was surprised the weak Genin had even made it this far. Sasuke wasn't as strong as everyone else said, not when it was Uzumaki Naruto saving him from the hospital. Naruto understood Sasuke exactly, whether he hated his number one rival or not, when the other boy had said he wanted to go home. Naruto hated the hospital more than anything, usually not even looked at after the initial check-ups. Except Sasuke had nurses coming practically every minute to look at his pretty face. It had made Naruto sick to have to hide in the room, listening to them talk about Sasuke this and Sasuke that. He didn't see what was so great about it, that dark, gloomy bastard.  
Well, he didn't have much to do now. His usual afternoon training had to wait, because he wasn't about to leave Sasuke alone at his place when someone had already written on his door. Those assholes. It wasn't even dark yet, and people that Naruto never saw were playing pranks on him. Did they think it actually meant something any more? He had gotten used to seeing graffiti long, long ago. It almost felt wrong to come home after a mission and not find spray paint and dog shit everywhere. There had been worse too, but since he had become a Genin, it had seemed to stop.  
Supposing he had nothing better to do, Naruto went over to the sink and grabbed a garbage bag from the cupboard underneath. Sasuke would probably bitch about how dirty his place was when he woke up, and how an Uchiha lived better, blah, blah, blah. One day everyone would be talking about him, not Sasuke. He started picking up the empty cups of ramen, wondering when things had gotten so messy...and knowing that it was because of his training. He just forgot to do anything else other than come straight home to study more jitsus and try to make sense of his copy of the ninja code. Naruto wasn't going to be shown up forever; and it would be worth it to see the look on Sasuke's face if he managed to answer Kakashi correctly before him. That was going to be a sweet day, indeed. Even Sakura would have to notice him then. It was just a matter of time.  
Naruto gathered up the trash, kicking dirty clothes and a few magazines to the side to clear a space by the door for the plastic bags. Sasuke didn't rouse at that, so Naruto figured it was fine to start whistling again. He didn't understand why Sasuke had to be such a jerk and tell him to shut up. Hopefully the black-haired boy would recover abnormally fast like usual, even though it wasn't nearly as good as Naruto's rate, and be out of here. Naruto didn't need to hear Sasuke go on about how he was an idiot, that he was never going to be Hokage, and even worse than all that was Sasuke being able to back it up. Naruto still hadn't been able to get the best of the Uchiha in a fight with kunai, and now Sakura was keeping a record of how quickly Sasuke beat him.  
Naruto was going to make Sasuke eat his words one day; everyone would when they saw what a great ninja he was going to be. Nobody would talk about him behind his back or do stuff to his place any more. Sakura would be sorry that she ever picked Sasuke over him, and Sasuke...well, that a certain Uchiha would no longer be quite as feared. Naruto didn't understand why people didn't fear a demon fox just as much as some clan that only had one living member. Sasuke was no more of a genius than he was- in fact, less of one. Just because the moody bastard had saved Naruto from being turned into a shishkabob didn't meant that Sasuke was better than he was!  
He tossed the last bag of garbage on top of all the others piling up at the door. It was still quite in his apartment, like usual, except for the subtle sound of Sasuke breathing. It had been so long since anyone else had been in here with him...in fact, it was probably never. Naruto didn't have any family or friends to come visit him. There had been so many countless nights of complete and utter loneliness, not a single person in the whole village that would look at him. Even though his room was relatively still a mess, Naruto slowly snuck through the mess left on the floor and closer to the bed. Curiously, Naruto settled down on his heels and looked Sasuke up and down. The boy could barely be qualified as alive, only breathing slightly every so often. At least he looked better out of the hospital bed, when his lips had been turning blue underneath that breathing mask. Naruto hadn't understood how all those wires going in and out of Sasuke had been supposed to help him, but it wasn't as if he could have asked any of the nurses. They were already pissed enough that he was in the hospital, much less hanging around a precious talent like Sasuke. Naruto would like to see everyone's faces if they ever found out he had been the one Sasuke had begged for help.  
Not that he didn't owe it to Sasuke for saving his life...again. Sasuke had made it clear that he only considered it be a necessary part of his mission, and certainly not because they were friends or anything stupid like that. It was sad that all the breath Sasuke wasted in threatening him was more than anyone else had ever spent on him. At least Sasuke was bitching at him, instead of the silence. Naruto hated that dead quiet more than anything else. Even if it was just going to be for a short while, he could enjoy the sound of Sasuke simply sleeping. It was somebody else, another human that Naruto actually knew the name of, that wouldn't look down on him...at least Sasuke usually had a reason when he glared at Naruto. Everyone else just simply hated him, and there was nothing he could do about it.  
Two sharp knocks on his window made Naruto yelp and jump up onto his feet. Kakashi was standing outside in his usual Jounin uniform, waving in greeting before pointing to the lock. Naruto looked down at Sasuke and realized that he should still be in a hospital bed, not in his apartment. Kakashi would probably take Sasuke back immediately, if he found out the other boy was here. Naruto grabbed the edge of the blanket and threw it over Sasuke's unconscious form quickly, hoping that it would be enough for now. Smiling and trying to look as normal as possible, he walked over to open up the window.  
"Yo, Naruto. I saved an old woman from drowning so she gave me these vegetables, and I know you're not eating any," Kakashi started, holding up a brown bag in explanation as he stood on the small edge of roof outside Naruto's window. Naruto frowned at his teacher, then at the bag.  
"That's such a lie," Naruto grumbled irritably. He hated vegetables, except for the small slices that would be in his ramen every now and then. Kakashi just chuckled behind his mask, handing Naruto the bag. He took it and stood there, hoping that there was no other reason for his teacher's visit. Kakashi eventually stopped laughing, the good humor draining out of the man as he realized Naruto wasn't moving or saying anything else.  
"Don't you want to put those in the refrigerator?" Kakashi wasn't very smooth in his suggestion. One eye rolled around the place, not unnoticed by Naruto as he started to break out in a sweat. He just concentrated on standing still and above all, not looking at his bed. Kakashi was definitely searching for something, perhaps even someone. Well, that was just too bad because Naruto had already promised Sasuke that he would get him out of the hospital. He wasn't going to let Sasuke go back any time soon, unless he knew for sure that Sasuke wanted it...and the bastard would probably have to be dying to do so. Kakashi would probably take Sasuke back immediately, being pretty strict despite his lazy attitude.  
"Lucky! I was already hungry," Naruto lied just as easily as his teacher did. Kakashi raised one visible eyebrow at him, the other hidden behind the forehead protector. He was clearly being doubted, so very reluctantly, Naruto opened up the bag. There was a mix of carrots, potatoes, celery, and an onion. Geh. Sasuke really owed him now. They were officially even as Naruto started to eat a carrot just to keep Kakashi stuck outside the window. It was worse than being stabbed full of senbon.  
"Naruto, have you gone to see Sasuke yet?" Kakashi asked, finally seeing he wasn't going to be allowed inside this visit.  
"They already kicked me out of the hospital today," Naruto mumbled, using a bit of the truth to cover himself. He had already been tossed out on his face yesterday and the day before for visiting Sasuke. Apparently, the hospital thought he'd contaminate Sasuke or something. It wasn't as if they really needed a reason. He was the nine-tailed demon fox, after all. It didn't matter that it was something inside of him, that Naruto was his own person. Nobody would understand that until he became Hokage.  
"I'll have a talk with the hospital staff. Why don't you try visiting him tomorrow?" Kakashi looked like he had bought the story, folding his arms and leaning back from the window. Naruto smiled, happy that Kakashi was going to do something about this; even it was a little bit late now. If he were lucky, they would yell at that nurse who kept chasing him out of Sasuke's room and plunging needles into him. Sasuke didn't need anything else to make his mood worse, which was the only effect Naruto could see the drugs taking before he'd passed out.  
"Okay. Thanks, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto tried to make it sound like a goodbye. Kakashi shrugged, and then simply wasn't there anymore. Naruto leaned out the window, looking about the surrounding rooftops and sky but unable to catch sight of that stupid hairstyle anywhere. Kakashi was still too fast for Naruto to even see when he wanted to be, but everyday it looked like his teacher was going a little bit slower. Naruto would be able to see all the movements clearly in time, already able to read Sasuke's movements after watching the dark-haired boy dance around...but, he still couldn't catch up to either of them. That was why he trained-  
-which he was missing out on, Naruto was suddenly reminded. He closed the window, finally allowing himself to gag and hack at the awful carrot taste in his mouth. He was sacrificing way too much today, but at least he was alive, thanks to Sasuke. That rotten, stuck-up, smart-mouthed bastard. Sasuke probably wouldn't even thank him for this, but Naruto's sense of honor wouldn't allow him to do anything else. Not that it didn't piss him off to no ends that he owed the ill-mannered kid anything. Sasuke was cold, a jerk on purpose, and people still loved him for it. 'Look, over there, the cute one. Did you see that? He's a genius, it's no wonder. Yes, he's from that clan. He's pretty enough to be a girl. That's the survivor of the Uchiha. You mean he lived through that?' Naruto heard nearly all the gossip that went on in the village, sitting in a ramen shop or walking down the street. It was amazing what you could hear when everyone was trying to pretend you didn't exist. He still wasn't sure what Sasuke had been through, didn't know anything except the whole Uchiha clan had died on the same night- probably killed. It wasn't as if Sasuke was telling him anything personal, nor invited the questions.  
Naruto took the bag of his hated vegetables to the kitchen area, throwing it on top of the counter. He would save those for later, like when he was starving to death and didn't have anything else to eat. After another quick glance at the window to make sure that Kakashi had indeed left, Naruto went back to the bed and pulled back the sheets, a little worried that Sasuke had suffocated, which would be just like his luck. The pale boy was lying like the dead, but still breathing- in fact, he had started snoring. Thank goodness the blanket had muffled that small wheeze Sasuke was making every so often, or else Kakashi would have had them for sure. Naruto had to smirk at that, wondering how all of Sasuke's fans would react when they heard the pretty boy snored. The girls that stared after Sasuke seemed to think that even his shit didn't stink, all misty-eyed over that face. Naruto didn't really understand it himself, since the guy was way too depressing to be anything other than a major pain. He wasn't nearly as cute as Sakura, and the stuff he said sometimes- it got so hard not to finally kick that bastard's ass into next week.  
Well, no use worrying about that right now, Naruto decide as he tucked the blanket around Sasuke a little more comfortably. Sasuke could waste a whole day sleeping while Naruto made up on some training. He had to finish cleaning his room by kicking a few things out of the way until he finally cleared off a space wide enough to start doing plain old push-ups. Even if stamina was his biggest strength, it didn't hurt to keep training to be stronger. He wasn't going to lose to Sasuke in hand-to-hand combat ever again! He'd get stronger, faster, just better at everything until Sakura, Kakashi; the whole damn village saw that he was better.  
  
Kakashi sighed as he leapt down from the roof. He could always depend on his students' predictability. The hospital had called him to report that Sasuke was missing from his hospital bed when he had just recovered from surgery only days before. When Kakashi found Sasuke's large, bare apartment to be empty, the next stop was Naruto's. Sure enough, he had spotted the boy on Naruto's bed before his student tried to hide the other boy. Even though those two screamed to high heaven that they hated each other, the rivalry had led to something deeper. Kakashi doubted either of them realized it, hopefully not at their age, and so he wasn't too worried about Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto was honest onto the point of it being his  
What he was more concerned about was making a commotion down in the alley between the shadows of two tall buildings. Kakashi used a drainpipe to bounce from, shortening his fall before jumping down behind the fight. Two men darted for each other so fast that Kakashi couldn't make out their forms, not with his forehead protector pulled over his Sharingan. There was the clang of kunai meeting before one man was thrown down to the ground, his arm yanked back at an unnatural angle that was a hairsbreadth away from breaking bones. The other slammed a knee down in the man's back, restraining him before the kunai clattered to the ground  
"Iruka," Kakashi greeted the other Jounin. Iruka glanced up from the stranger pinned underneath him; a fierce look transforming into a smile the Kakashi almost didn't notice it.  
"Kakashi, what are you doing here?" Iruka asked politely as the stranger tried to toss him, assuming that his captor was occupied with talking right now. Iruka applied more pressure, evoking a cry of pain before the man settled back down.  
"I was just visiting Naruto. You?"  
"Well, it's getting close to that time again, so I thought I'd patrol. Obviously it was a good idea," Iruka explained with a smile before he slowly backed off the man. "I don't ever want to see your face around here again," Iruka hissed coldly as the stranger immediately ran off down the street and around the corner. Kakashi sighed, knowing that it was the yearly anniversary of day the Nine-tailed Demon Fox had attacked the village. Many people had died before it had been sealed away in Naruto, and there were a lot of sons, daughters, husbands, wives, parents, and grandparents that held a grudge. Kakashi had heard the rumors before, but hadn't ever really paid attention to the loud, troublemaking child. It wasn't until Naruto had proven himself worthy of being his student that Kakashi had discovered just how bad things had been. He couldn't understand how so many people in a peaceful village like Konoha could be so cold- hearted to torment a child, barely entering his teens. When he had first followed Naruto home to see how he acted alone, as he had secretly done to all three of his student after first meeting them, he had immediately turned back to report to the Hokage what he had seen. Apparently Naruto didn't feel the need to complain about a broken window that had been broken long ago with a blanket nailed across it was a replacement. The door had merely been propped open in the doorway, broken off its hinges. The paint was covered in graffiti and insults upon insults, and the roof was covered with broken eggs and rotten food that had been tossed against the side of Naruto's apartment. Still, despite it all, Naruto had eaten a cup of ramen and tried to memorize jitsus that were much too complicated for a Genin until he fell asleep.  
All of that had been fixed within the week by a certain few, grumbling carpenters that obviously had had something to do with it in the first place. Since then, Kakashi had started daily patrols, turning up more results than he would have liked. That was how he had ended up getting close to Iruka. They kept running into each other around Naruto's place, usually ended up together in the middle of subduing some drunks out for revenge or the like before they bothered Naruto. The other teacher had noticed Naruto's situation as well, and actually had a little notebook to record the descriptions of people he ran into so Iruka could look through the village files to find their identity and press charges through the Hokage. Kakashi didn't bother with all that, preferring to simply beat the perpetrators so badly that they would never think of doing the same again. Of course, Iruka was too softhearted for that. Despite that, they had cut down on the number of people that actually managed to do anything serious, but sometimes they managed to get around to vandalizing. At least no one was breaking into the apartment and trashing it anymore. Naruto could do that all by himself.  
"I can't wait for nighttime if it's still in the middle of the afternoon and this is what they're up to already," Iruka laughed sarcastically, spinning a double-bladed kunai in his hands that clearly didn't belong to him. Kakashi grinned behind his facemask, sharing the same humor. As Naruto got older, it seemed the lengths people would go got worse. He had stopped a few men who had come with full intention to kill his student. It seemed like Iruka had already caught the first one of the day, but Kakashi was sure there would be plenty of chances all weeklong to- which was really kind of pathetic in the end. There shouldn't be this many people in Konoha, who could hate so strongly as to want to kill a child; and yet there was still worse out there in the world.  
"So, this is what you're planning for the rest of the night? Patrolling?" Kakashi repeated it back to Iruka, just in case the man might realize how stupid it sounded if someone said it aloud. Iruka only nodded happily, tucking away all his weapons into the various pouches in his uniform. The man was too simpleminded for his own good, a flaw in an otherwise fine personality. Just like the scar on a face that otherwise would have been rather handsome. Kakashi also knew that pain very well, but very few people had seen him without the facemask. Iruka happened to be one of those people as well. He pulled down the stretchy fabric, breathing a nice breath of fresh, unfiltered air before taking the few short steps to stand in front of the man and kiss him. Iruka was tense for a moment, clearly having not expected Kakashi to move in so soon, and then he opened his mouth wide like a good boy, allowing Kakashi to explore the inside of his mouth. It was something that had started between them a few months ago, when Iruka had come yelling about Kakashi being too hard on Naruto and the fight had gotten too heated...well, here they were now, with him pressing Iruka up against the wall of the building behind the man. He couldn't help it, not when Iruka had been rather fierce and efficient in dealing with that stranger only seconds ago. Kakashi liked to see the small flashes of a serious, and even bitter, adult underneath it all. Nobody could be smiling like that all the time, except perhaps Naruto. Maybe the blonde had learned from his first teacher.  
Iruka reached up, a warm hand touching the rough scar on the side of his neck to pull Kakashi in closer. It was one of the worst, about an inch wide and going from underneath his left ear to below his navel, puckered along the sides from stitches. A memory on his flesh from when he had been young and stupid, thinking that he could dodge a katana...he had been partially successful, since he had managed to live. There were more than just that long gash however, countless scars from too many battles. All Shinobi had them, which was more than reason enough to appreciate the long sleeves and baggy pants of a ninja uniform. One didn't become a ninja without shedding blood along the way. It was a rare day to see a whole team return intact from anything above a C mission. That was probably half the reason why Iruka and he had started this, since eventually the women had demanded they stop risking their lives. They had both had a few relationships before, nothing serious, until found the term 'friends with benefits' to finally ring true.  
Kakashi started to work at Iruka's belt, finding a moment's problem with the clasp since he was currently engaged in feeling every single one of the man's teeth with his tongue, before the clasp finally gave way. The pants dropped and Iruka started kissing him with just as much ferocity, teeth gnashing together. Kakashi had found a sort of kindred spirit in Iruka, since violence had never been very far away at any time in their lives. Or, at the very least, Iruka had yet to say anything negative, in fact, anything at all. That was Iruka's way, it worked perfectly fine for Kakashi's sake. He pulled back in order to hook his thumbs on a pair of plain, white boxers that after Kakashi had seen a hundred times before had finally become a part of the attraction. The last bit of clothing to slide down Iruka's thighs and catch on his knees above the pants. Kakashi removed one of his gloves before he reached down underneath the loose hem of Iruka's shirt to touch a member that wasn't entirely soft. In fact, Iruka's cock was warm and twitching in his hand, the other man shuddered for a moment before he finally gathered the wits to pull down Kakashi's pants in turn.  
Iruka had been a fast enough learner, once given the right instructions and a few live demonstrations. Hell, at first it had taken more sweet-talking than Kakashi had ever used before, and a couple of strong drinks, to finally steel Iruka's nerves enough for sex. To think that at one time Iruka had actually been repugnant to touching anything below the waist. Now, they were standing together in alley with pants dropped, and all it had taken was one really good kiss. Iruka had a good, firm hand around his penis; fingers tracing veins that were starting to stiffen and bulge. Kakashi had to tighten the muscles in his knees, hips starting to jerk despite himself. Iruka had gotten good, but Kakashi wasn't about to be the first to cum, not over the beginning of hand job. He reached under to tickle sensitive skin before kneading Iruka's balls, which led to the other man going tense. Iruka slammed back against the wall, obviously the only thing holding him up anymore beyond the grip he still had around Kakashi's neck.  
It was fantastic to be standing there, both of them mutually reveling in the feeling of another man. Iruka was flushed, looking more lost than Kakashi as he finally started moving his hands up and down Iruka's shaft, working it faster. He gasped at that, not even able to do much more than gasp and kiss the small amount of skin between his chin and shoulder, occasionally the nick of teeth. Iruka didn't seem to find the scars too much, but he still had yet to see Kakashi completely naked. Nobody had, yet- at least anyone who was still alive today. It was good enough to have a lover again, and Kakashi didn't want to scare the man off. Even if screwing in a semi-public place was a little extreme, Kakashi didn't think he could really hold himself back any longer. At least he was more than 50% sure Iruka wouldn't complain.  
In fact, it seemed like he had misjudged the other man, who shuddered once before there was a relative explosion between their bodies, Kakashi's hand and Iruka's own streaming erection. He pursed his lips, realizing that Iruka was still hard despite a bit of premature ejaculation, rubbing the sticky fluid between his fingers. It was Mother Nature's best lubricant, after all. He let his hand slide down to small, clenched entrance, using his other to hoist up one of Iruka's legs for a better angle, holding the man's knee at his waist. His ran his finger over and around the ring of muscle, knowing from experience that Iruka needed a little more coaxing than one would expect from a Shinobi. Iruka just moaned at that, probably trying to do his best not to start screaming aloud and draw attention to them. It was already daring enough, Kakashi half-surprised that he had been allowed to get this far. Than again, it would be hard to argue when he was starting to dig his finger past hard resistance and into soft, warm insides. He kissed Iruka as he added a second digit, to muffle the man as well as distract him from the pain he might be suffering. Iruka didn't usually complain, but there were some noises a body made out of reaction that just couldn't be stifled, no matter what kind of concentration a person had. Well, Kakashi would much rather Iruka be unable to keep silent rather than the man being so unmoved that he didn't even grunt.  
Kakashi leaned in, his own cock a heated, wet ache that couldn't be ignored any longer. He rubbed their erections together, enjoying the sensation of sensitive skin against Iruka's equally aroused member before finally giving in. He pulled out his fingers from the loose sort of traction he had found inside Iruka's body. He wanted something better to fill that, and was pretty sure that Iruka did as well. Kakashi used one hand to guide himself in, the other raise Iruka's leg up a little bit higher to help as he started to press in. Even with weight and gravity on his side, it still took a moment for Iruka to adjust to his girth. Two white-knuckled fists buried in his vest was enough to speak of the discomfort, Iruka clenching his teeth and thighs until Kakashi finally brushed up against the right spot in that blistering heat. Then, Iruka was trembling and starting to moan so loud that Kakashi took the liberty of gagging the other man with his mouth.  
From that point on, Kakashi ceased to care about what might happen his partner, just driving up between an incredible resistance of muscles before warm, velvet insides that moved around with each thrust. It felt good, felt wonderful, just sensations cascading down. If he were a normal man, he probably would have lost it long ago. But, as things were, he was a Shinobi, and wasn't allowed to lose himself so easily. Even if it felt like heaven come to earth, emotions were something to always be kept at arm's length. In the end, this was nothing more than a form of release after a mission that hadn't gone so well. The only difference was, he kept coming back to Iruka, something about the muffled gasps Iruka was still making underneath Kakashi's mouth, or the toss of his leg that almost threatened to unbalance the both of them. Kakashi just shifted his feet and pressed Iruka harder against the wall, starting to feel things culminating.  
Iruka hooked an elbow around Kakashi's neck, using his other hand to stroke himself, since Kakashi wasn't going to provide that sort of extra stimulation. He was more focused on driving up, in, and back out into cool air...repeating as became lost in the motions. Iruka came between them both, yelling out Kakashi's name into his mouth. That split-second of crushing pressure was enough to make Kakashi see stars, white dancing at the edge of his vision. He couldn't even move for a moment, stuck fast until he couldn't hold himself back any longer. Kakashi came not long after, panting hard and suddenly finding it not so easy to stand steady. He let Iruka's leg down, pulled out with a long, wet noise, and stayed there. The heat from Iruka's body was almost like physical touch with so little distance between them.  
"You liked that?" Kakashi couldn't help asking, couldn't help being a bit of an ass in the end. He wasn't really expecting an answer, already had it considering the mess they had made of their clothes, but it would be nice anyway. Iruka just stood there with closed eyes and a face still lightly flushed underneath the tan, words obviously far out of reach. Kakashi kissed him again, a short one on the cheek, to take some of the sting out of the words if he had offended his lover...or if something was starting to drip down Iruka's thighs.  
"You know, I think Naruto and Sasuke might be following our suit," Kakashi mulled aloud, already back to thinking about his students. His mind felt a lot clearer now, focused after that bout of somewhat frenzied lovemaking. Naruto should know better than to try to hide anything from him, even though it had been painfully obvious that he had Sasuke in his apartment. Kakashi had honestly not expected Sasuke to get the blonde's help, or probably had to have asked for it in the first place. Sasuke was the only student that Kakashi's couldn't read clearly, and was still mostly a mystery to him.  
"What? Naruto is?" Iruka asked in sudden concern, standing up straight so abruptly that he almost knocked Kakashi in the chin. "With Uchiha Sasuke?" Iruka added as an afterthought, the look on his face clear disbelief. Kakashi nodded, deciding to back off and take the time to finally pull up his pants. He grimaced at the wet, soggy crinkle of pubic hair and messy penis in what had been relatively clean underwear; but Kakashi had been planning to go home for a shower for the past couple of hours anyway.  
"Don't worry, they're not doing anything," Kakashi assured Iruka. He knew that the man was more concerned about Naruto than anything, already pulling on his pants in a hurry. Kakashi was starting to regret telling the man, forgetting that Iruka had a tendency to overreact first and talk things out second. It wasn't as if they were dealing with an enemy invasion or such, but from the look on Iruka's face, Kakashi would have a hard time believing any differently.  
"Maybe I'll go check on them later, then," Iruka tried to sound casual, but Kakashi could read deeper into it. 'Maybe' was 'definitely,' and 'later' meant 'now.' Iruka pulled various pockets and buckles into place, tightening his forehead protector as if nothing had happened before turning in the direction of Naruto's apartment. Kakashi much doubted the two of their students were up to anything that needed to be stopped; in the end, they were dealing with Naruto. He didn't think they would appreciate another interruption either, since Naruto had been trying to hard to pretend like he knew nothing about Sasuke's disappearance from the hospital despite the Genin-shaped lump on his bed.  
"Go home and go to sleep," Kakashi ordered, grabbing a fistful of Iruka's shirt to drag the man closer. Iruka let him, since a Shinobi could have easily avoided it if he so wished, and Kakashi kissed the man hard. Hard enough to forget about Naruto and Sasuke, and whatever little scheme had hatched in Iruka's head. He had just been thinking of trying to give Iruka a head's up, not a hernia. It took a moment, but eventually Iruka relaxed enough to return it, pressing lips together and meeting him with a tongue.  
"Well, when you put it like that..." Iruka trailed off at the end of their kiss, both of them a little winded. Kakashi pulled up his facemask, smiling underneath the thin fabric. He was pretty sure that he had gotten his point through with that, couldn't help grinning smugly as Iruka stood there in a bit of daze, exhaustion starting to creep up on him.  
"Come on, I'll walk you home," Kakashi offered, not just as a gesture of kindness beyond the sex...but, also in the hopes that he could spend the night. He preferred Iruka's bed to his own, which had been cold and empty for too long. Iruka just smiled, knowing the ulterior motive and not even complaining. Iruka was way too accommodating, but Kakashi didn't really care on afternoons like these. Iruka stepped back, waiting for Kakashi to come even with him as they started walking down the alley and back on to the main streets.  
  
Sasuke woke up again, this time in not so much discomfort. His mouth was dry and there was an acidic tang of medicine on his tongue, but his eyes were focusing and his head didn't feel so clouded anymore. His body, however, was completely numb and lethargic. It was a small triumph to get his fingers wiggling against his chest. He rolled his head around with great effort to see Naruto's dark room, a little bit of moonlight and glow from the lights of the city seeping in through the window. It looked...cleaner, for some reason. Sasuke couldn't really remember the trip in, wondering if Naruto was even still around. For some reason, the thought of the other boy being gone seemed frightening, Sasuke very much not wanting to be in Naruto's apartment alone.  
He finally noticed a figure standing up slowly in the muted yellow light, the edge of the window cutting through a tanned, short body that Sasuke recognized. Naruto was practically glowing with sweat, using his shirt as a towel around his neck. Usually wild hair was sticking down to Naruto's head, hard breathing all signs of hard training. Just how long had Sasuke been sleeping? Naruto wiped an arm across his face, turning around noticing Sasuke with bright blue eyes despite the darkness.  
"Hey, you awake?" Naruto asked, stretching out his back with arms raised up high before silently walking to the side of the bed. Sasuke blinked up at his teammate, wondering just how long he had been unconscious if Naruto had worked himself this hard already. He ended up just nodding an answer, not wanting to try speaking right now when his throat felt as dry. He would probably end up squeaking or something embarrassing like that, and Sasuke refused to look any worse in front of Naruto. He coughed to try and clear his throat, which only seemed to make things worse as his side starting burning. Sasuke couldn't concentrate on anything else than trying to stay as still as possible during this hacking fit so he didn't disturb the wound in his side any more.  
A glass of water was offered in front of his face, but Sasuke couldn't get his arms to reach for it. Naruto sighed heavily, holding it closer to his mouth and nothing more. Sasuke couldn't really expect Naruto to realize how awkward and painful it was to sit up slightly just to sip weakly, but he did it all the same. Water had never tasted so good before, Sasuke ready to down the whole glass but Naruto pulling it away before he could. It was set on the table by the bed, an impossible length away for Sasuke right now. He couldn't even cure the idiot as Naruto walked away once again.  
Sasuke was left in silence and darkness, two welcome and familiar friends. If he closed his eyes, he could almost pretend that he was in his own bed. Except the sound of a shower starting and nasal, broken singing through the walls. When he recovered, Sasuke was going to kill Naruto, very, very slowly. There was no way he could try to escape this by falling asleep again. His mind was no longer tired, even if his body felt like it had been left out in the sun too long. He stared forward at to the footrest at the end of the bed, glaring at the smooth wood before his gaze eventually rolled around to that water.  
He was so damned thirsty. Naruto's short-lived help had only let Sasuke get enough water to wet his throat. It felt like he just might have enough liquid in him now to cry in frustration like he wanted to. He was glad he was out of the hospital, but he hadn't expected to be this weak, to wind up with Naruto as his rescuer...it was his worst nightmare coming to life. He'd even take Sakura and her constant flirting over this awkwardness. He didn't know how to talk to people, didn't have friends, and didn't let anyone get close for their own good. And Naruto happened to be the epitome of everything Sasuke hated about a person: loud, disruptive, slow, clumsy, outrageous, and so stupid. Damn, but Naruto was stupid.  
Sasuke sighed. Just thinking about how much he hated being Naruto's debt wasn't going to help matters. Instead, Sasuke focused on making a fist, curling his fingers up and clenching them closed. Ironically enough, the third try was successful. From there, Sasuke got his arm to fall out from underneath the blankets. From that point on, it was pure willpower that got his arm to stiffen up and reach for the glass. Sasuke was already sweating with the effort of keeping his hand steady as it closed around the cool cylinder. He lifted up-  
-and fingers that still hadn't regained the sense of touch dropped the glass. It dropped on the floor and by some miracle didn't break. Sasuke could hear it rolling across the floor, water probably soaking into the wood. Sasuke cursed himself underneath the muffled singing from the bathroom, wishing that he wasn't so weak right now. He had to get stronger, had only managed to become a Genin two years after the same age Itachi had. From then on, it had been an ANBU squad leader in short recession. How was Sasuke supposed to compete with that record when he was nearly getting killed during a training session?!  
"Damn it," Sasuke and Naruto snapped in unison. Sasuke looked up from his dark thoughts to see Naruto striding over in the same shorts and a real towel draped over his head. He was still dripping wet from the shower, leaving no smaller puddle than the dark, silver stain Sasuke had already caused as the boy stood over the fallen glass. Naruto gave his hair a final rubdown with the white terry before tossing the towel to the floor to soak up the water. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the wet figure, hair damp but looking cleaner than when he had gone into the bathroom. He didn't know if Naruto had taken a cold or hot shower, but either way the change in temperature was enough to give Naruto two pert nipples.  
"Can't you put a shirt on?" Sasuke finally snapped, no longer worried about his voice. He should have, because it broke on the last word. Naruto didn't even seem to notice that, blinking in confusion for a moment before a huge grin burst across his face, making Sasuke regret having ever said anything in the first place.  
"Oh-ho, so you've noticed the results of my training?" Naruto called out, flexing both arms. Sasuke sighed in disgust, rolling his head over to face the wall instead. It still didn't help to block out the grunts and small snorts of satisfaction Naruto was making. It was as if the other boy didn't know the meaning of the word silence, didn't know when he was making other people damn uncomfortable! Why did Naruto think it was a good idea to have a little bodybuilding display right now, when Sasuke was obviously weak from drugs and his wound? That was the only reason why he finally gave in and looked back at Naruto.  
"See? Told you so!" Naruto crowed when Sasuke finally met his gaze again, clearly having waited for that exact moment. It galled Sasuke more to know that Naruto could predict him than to see Naruto striking a pose to develop a well-muscled backside. He was thick and compact, unlike Sasuke, who just couldn't seem to get any more mass than whipcord muscle over delicate bones. Itachi had been right; he had taken after mother too much, hated his fair skin and fine features. It didn't matter if every girl and a few daring women in the village wanted him, because in the end it was another thing preventing him from becoming stronger. He was very fast because of it, on the other hand, but that didn't seem like enough to make up for the fact that Uzumaki Naruto had a better physique than him...that lazy, good for nothing, ramen-eating idiot still showing off what Sasuke would rather he'd not.  
"Wonderful, Naruto, you're amazing. Now put a fucking shirt on," Sasuke drawled, wishing he had a little more strength to be meaner. Naruto just stuck his tongue out at Sasuke, making him feel all the more mature for actually saying a full sentence.  
"You're just jealous," Naruto finally grumbled before he stalked over to the dresser to pull out a new shirt. If only he knew how close to the truth he really was. Sasuke just snorted at the other boy, wanting to cross his arms like usual but still too numb to try. How frustrating. Naruto pulled on a black tank top, which for some reason made Sasuke miss his own dark clothes. He didn't want to be in a light blue hospital gown, but he'd just have to suffer through until he could get back to his house. He still had some of the drug to sleep off, but he had already woken up from who knew however many hours long nap. Sasuke would just have to pray that it hadn't been long enough for people to find out that he was staying with Uzumaki Naruto...it would take forever to live that one down, and Sasuke didn't look forward to having all his fans getting upset. Then they would be even more annoying than usual.  
"Man, I'm tired. It's gonna be great to finally get some sleep," Naruto sighed, dropping down to his knees by the bed. Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, not sure if he should be offended but pretending anyway- until he noticed Naruto was digging underneath the frame for something. He hauled out a sleeping bag decorated with cartoon shuriken, like any kid under five would love to have. Sasuke did his best not to burst out laughing at the sight of it, remembering when he had been younger and demanded plain black because it had been cool. Now it served as a constant reminder as to his only reason to live, and because any else would just be frivolous.  
Naruto shook it out before lying it down on the floor next to the bedside. It was only then that it struck Sasuke that he had taken Naruto's bed and the blonde would have to find his own place for tonight. Naruto simply fell down on the bedding, arms thrown out to the sides in obvious exhaustion. Amazingly enough, Naruto wasn't demanding Sasuke sleep on the floor or that they share the same mattress, which would have been even more intolerable. Even complete idiots could have a little bit of respect and delicacy. Sasuke could barely stand people getting close to him, much less actual touching. He hadn't even needed to explain that to Naruto, who seemed to understand it with a sort of basic, animal instinct. Sasuke would never go so far as to credit the boy with anything resembling tact or discretion.  
"Thank you," Sasuke grudgingly spat it out, because he knew that Naruto deserved it. All the denial in the world didn't erase the fact that Naruto had carried him out of the Forbidden Area, and helped him escape the hospital and that nurse. The boy tiled his head back on the floor, blue eyes picking Sasuke out with an unspoken question.  
"I didn't want to spend the night in the hospital," he explained quickly, hoping that Naruto wasn't reading too deeply. Moreover, there was nothing to read in to; he didn't have a reason to be nervous. This was Naruto, after all, the biggest idiot Sasuke had met in his entire life! Why would he even need to feel the slightest bit embarrassed or stupid?  
"Totally. I hate the hospital, it smells and everyone's mean," Naruto agreed, shrugging and looking back at the ceiling. The wild blonde hair hid the other boy's face, but Sasuke had a feeling that he was just being humored. Naruto kicked one leg up over the other, letting his foot bounce up and down in a bored habit. The idiot probably hated talking to him, announcing his dislike for Sasuke left and right whenever someone would actually listen.  
"I'll leave tomorrow. I just still feel sick, right now," Sasuke hated admitting it, but he figured Naruto would want him out as soon as possible. He wouldn't even be able to make it to the door at this rate, and Sasuke hadn't counted on Naruto's bed actually being clean and comfortable. He would be unconscious for the most part, so hopefully it wouldn't be too much of a bother.  
"Whatever, man. It's kinda cool to have someone else here for a change," Naruto's answer actually had a hint of bitterness in it, as if his feelings had been hurt and had counted on it as well. Sasuke blinked, wondering just what he could have done, since the blonde had seemed fine until he had actually gone to the length of thanking the other boy. Was Naruto pissed off that Sasuke didn't want to stay here and be a sick invalid? He could do that in the sanctity of his own home, alone... It suddenly dawned on Sasuke just how difference his alone was from Naruto's. Sasuke had memories of his family, a precious few of when everything had been good and happy, all four eating at the same table with servants in attendance. Even though he had lost that, all he had to do was walk down the street and people would try to talk to him despite all the glares and snide comments Sasuke could toss out; he got more marriage proposals in a single day than most would have in their whole life. Everyone wanted to be connected to the Uchiha clan, from family to boasting that Uchiha Sasuke had eaten at their restaurant, yes, that seat down there at the end.  
Naruto had had no one from the very beginning. Kakashi, Sakura, and he were the only ones in the whole village who associated with Naruto- mainly because they were all assigned to the same team. There was also that teacher, Iruka, but Sasuke had long since considered the older man a fool, so it made sense why the ninja professor had taken a liking to Naruto. Idiots tended to group together. Sasuke realized he was probably the first person to ever 'stay over' at his place, like they were friends.  
"You're alone, too," Sasuke didn't mean for that to come out, blinking down and fixing his gaze on the mound his feet made underneath the blankets at the end of the bed, in case Naruto decided to look back. With any luck, he hadn't heard Sasuke... God, he was an even bigger idiot than Naruto sometimes!  
"It's not like I've known anything else," Naruto's voice was surprisingly steady and devoid of the usual energy it held. A statement of pure fact that made Sasuke feel guilty. He wasn't supposed to feel bad, he was the one wounded, after all. But, Naruto's hurt was so old and accepted by the boy. Sasuke could understand that very well, knew exactly what kind of agony it was to be completely alone in the middle of this peaceful village. Words didn't express that kind of pain well enough to do it any justice, and Sasuke couldn't think of anything else to do other than lie there quietly.  
"But, I'm gonna be Hokage, and everyone's gonna recognize me then," Naruto piped up from the floor, his stupid, irrational dream cheering him up immediately. Sasuke couldn't understand it all, but still felt relieved that he didn't have to try saying something nice. Sasuke didn't have that sort of ability, just needed to live for himself.  
"What do you wanna be, Sasuke?" The question took Sasuke by surprised, half-wondering if Naruto could possibly read minds. Coincidence, nonetheless, Sasuke didn't have to think very hard. He just had to kill Itachi. He'd given up on surpassing his brother when his thirteen birthday had come and gone with Sasuke lucky to be at the top of his class, but far from an ANBU captain. Sasuke trained everyday, practiced with his Sharingan until he couldn't even see straight, but hadn't even made it to the Jounin exams last year. Pathetic.  
"I just have to kill a man," Sasuke answered back sharply. He could think about life after that when he actually fulfilled his mission. Mother, Father, Grandmother, Uncle, everyone, the entire clan wouldn't be able to rest in peace until he avenged them.  
"Pssh. Heard that before. You're so boring," Naruto grumbled out, and there was the sound of him moving around. Sasuke picked his head up to glare down at the other boy, only to find Naruto had switch directions he was lying in. Sasuke was staring at dazzling blue eyes in the middle of a cat-like face...or maybe it was more like a fox?  
And it didn't fucking matter!  
"Murder is boring?" Sasuke spat back, offended by Naruto belittling his reason to live, and humiliated over his own thoughts. If he believed he could have managed it, Sasuke would have been trying to choke Naruto and stop this conversation. Nobody got to judge him, was allowed to know him in a personal manner. Sasuke refused to let someone get close like that, ever again.  
"I guess it's not to a depressing guy like yourself," Naruto returned dryly, his eyes narrowing in bored arrogance. Sasuke had never wanted to hit Sasuke more than that moment.  
"I'm not depressing," Sasuke returned. He was cold, removed, and proficient. He wasn't depressing. Sasuke didn't have the time to feel sorry for himself.  
"Sure, Sasuke, our regular burst of sunshine. Didn't Sakura cry on the last mission? Wasn't that...if I could only remember who started it..." Naruto trailed off, obviously referring to when Sasuke had merely pointed out that Sakura needed to train a lot more if she didn't want to hold them back. It hadn't been harsh at all, since it was simple honesty. Sakura had tried to help Sasuke out by throwing a kunai into the middle of a fight, forcing him to dodge his teammates as well as the enemy. When the battle had been over, Sasuke had told Sakura to watch out while Naruto yelled at him to the side, as usual. She hadn't faced him after that, walked behind them the whole way home as if ashamed, but Sasuke knew it was because she had been crying. He had heard the small sniffles and Naruto trying to comfort her before he got hit in the head for his troubles.  
"Weren't you going to sleep?" Sasuke snapped back, not believing that Naruto had actually managed to hit a sore spot with him. He had felt bad after that, not meaning to make Sakura cry, just shape up. The next day, she had still come up with a 'good morning' and her usual smile, so he had figured there would be no reason to apologize and had forgotten about it since. He hated Naruto so much some times, wishing that the idiot didn't see fit to point out the one time he had been too harsh. Naruto had done much worse a hundred times over!  
"Weren't you supposed to be unconscious?" Naruto managed to turn the tables quite easily. He usually would have been angry, but it was either the drugs, the wound, or the fact that he was in the same room with Naruto, because he started laughing. Nothing so big that could even be registered above a chuckle, but laughter nonetheless. Naruto was just such an idiot, and yet could say some pretty sharp things at times. It had been so long since he had found anything humorous enough to laugh aloud. Only silence met Sasuke's amusement, as if Naruto had just assumed that Sasuke had gone completely crazy. He tilted his head up, mouth open to start another argument with the boy...  
...and found that Naruto had fallen asleep after spitting out that last smart comment. Sasuke could have killed the other boy in that instant, glaring down at the closed eyes and relaxed expression. Who would have ever expected Naruto to be able to look so innocent and mild when he raised hell every waking hour? Well, it wasn't as if Sasuke had believed that Naruto would be able to get him out the hospital without everyone discovering them, but he had been proven wrong. It seemed like lately Naruto was growing up. If he wasn't careful, the other boy might pass him up... as if that was possible. Still, it was a valid enough fear that Sasuke wanted to recover as soon as possible and get back to training. If Naruto could beat him, then how was he ever supposed to kill Itachi? He didn't want to stay here with his loudest rival ever, stuck staring at Naruto's face. It wasn't fair that the total idiot could end up looking so sweet when he was sleeping.  
Sasuke sighed heavily, pissed off but very little he could actually do about it. He would be the crap out of Naruto tomorrow or the day after, but it didn't make up for how uncomfortable he felt now. Even if Naruto was awake for it or not, Sasuke didn't want to find himself blushing and wishing that he didn't find Naruto attractive. It wasn't like Sakura, who hung all over him and only wanted him to notice her. Naruto couldn't care less about what people thought of him, and for some reason Sasuke was finding himself gravitating toward the other boy more and more because of it. Naruto didn't have anything like charisma, but that self-confidence was something to marvel at. Sasuke couldn't understand how the boy could still really believe that he was going to be Hokage one day despite being a complete klutz. And for some stupid reason, he kind of wanted to see it actually happen.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES: okay... it turned into a PWP with minimal plot to lace it all together. I guess I can't really write a complete PWP, I end up writing too much anyway. So, yeah, this gives me more freedom for couplings, because there's SOOOO many to cover in that show...kind of like Prince of Tennis(okay, number of people on a team, to the power of how many teams there are in all...I can't do the math for all the possible relationships in THAT one). Thank you to : ) , cdk, FC3Suguishi, itsmeeskava, KittenKat, Lady Vicious, Musquash, pocky no miko, Random Fan, Riyue, Rosalyn Angel, Saori-Hime, Suguishi, Tenchibat, Uchiha Addiction, vspirit, Zenegami 


	3. Couldn't look you in the eye

Disclaimer: Naruto and other characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi. I blame the rest on EBay for providing too many doujinshi depicting these couplings.

Sasuke didn't leave in the morning, like he said he would. In fact, Sasuke slept like the dead for two whole days and nights afterwards, leaving Naruto to get very comfortable with the floor. He couldn't leave the other boy along in the place, not sure when Sasuke just might wake up, so Naruto stayed inside to study scrolls he'd been putting off, clean up the place since he never really had the time to do a good job, paint over the graffiti on the door, and other such small jobs he needed to do. Sasuke didn't so much as twitch at the loudest noises Naruto made, never did anything other than breathe, which was turning into the only sign that he was still alive. Naruto had finally taken the time to roll Sasuke onto his side and adjust the blankets over the boy so he wouldn't get bedsores. Naruto was half-afraid he should have left Sasuke at the hospital, but just remembering Sasuke's miserable request to go home and knowing how much it must have took for Sasuke to ask for anything, made Naruto shake his head and go back cleaning up his apartment.

Kakashi didn't come by to visit him, though Sakura knocked on his door just to tell him that Sasuke was missing from the hospital. He had pretended to be worried, swearing that he was going to find Sasuke just because she seemed so upset; and also knowing that Sakura would demand to come in, would try to take Sasuke back to the hospital, and would tell everyone where Sasuke was when Naruto tried to fight her. It was hard lying to the girl he liked, but the cynical side of him knew it was one-sided. Nobody would ever want to be friends, much less lovers, with a demon fox. Not even Sasuke, but the only reason the boy was using his bed was because Naruto was the only one available to help him.

"Don't think like that!" Naruto snapped sharply at himself. He was the only one who was going to cheer himself up, after all. If he started doubting himself, gave into that depression just for a second, he would never be able to become Hokage. He was used to doing everything alone. Achieving his dream would be no different, and he knew better than to expect encouragement from anywhere else. Even Iruka, who was a teacher and had more people to look after than just Naruto. Kakashi taught him fairly and was probably the first adult to completely ignore the fact that the Nine-tailed Demon Fox was sealed inside of him, but he played clear favorites when it came time to train. Just because Sasuke was from some stupid, dead, genius clan. At least Naruto had hard work to back up everything he did, and didn't use a family name to impress people. All Sasuke did was say his name in that sour, cold voice and enemies froze up, even if they were outside Konoha. One day Uzumaki Naruto would get the same response.

Naruto sighed, tossing down the scroll he was trying to memorize. _Boredom._ There was absolutely nothing to do. He had finally cleaned everything up; even found a television that still worked underneath a small mountain of trash. Now the floor was cleared and magazines stacked up, laundry actually folded up and put away in the dresser and closet. He'd taken all the garbage out and actually cleaned the kitchen, scrubbing the counters for the first time in years. He just didn't have anything else to do while Sasuke slept away, and Naruto didn't do anything half-assed once he set out on it. At least Sasuke would have nothing to say about the place when he woke up. That alone made it worth all the effort, even though Naruto hated cleaning.

He whistled, wondering when they might get a mission again. He didn't know how long it took to heal from the wound Sasuke had taken. Naruto's usually became light scars within three days or so, no matter how bad it was. He was getting bored just sitting around here, hoping that Sasuke would just wake up already, and another part of him kind of enjoying the boy's company now that he was unconscious. Sasuke was pretty nice to deal with when his eyes were closed and he wasn't saying anything. Naruto didn't like admitting it, but after being stuck in the same room with Sasuke for so long, he was beginning to understand why all the girls though he was so cute. Now that Naruto got a good look, Sasuke's face wasn't _entirely_ repugnant. Minus the attitude, of course.

There was a rustle behind him, causing Naruto to whistle in questioning tone as he turned around. He didn't see anything but the faint, orange glow of sunset filling the room. It was barely recognizable as his place all neat and tidy like this, but imagine the look on Sasuke's fa-Naruto stopped whistling as he noticed at his empty bed. No Sasuke. There was a blanket on the floor, probably what had alerted Naruto to the other boy finally moving; but he hadn't expected Sasuke to be jumping out of bed immediately on waking. Naruto eyed the room suspiciously, pretty sure that Sasuke wouldn't be able to get too far…the tablecloth fluttered slightly, barely enough to catch Naruto's attention.

He walked over slowly to the table he had against the wall, moving around the single chair before reaching down with one hand to lift up a corner of the fabric. Sasuke was underneath the table, back shoved up against the wall and arms wrapped around his legs. The hospital robe wasn't the best thing to wear if Sasuke was choosing to sit in this position, pale legs revealed almost entirely to the hip. Sasuke was almost indecent, if his ankles weren't pressed into his butt and still trying to find purchase on the floor to push back further. Sasuke's head was buried into his knees, and not a single sound was coming out as if he was scared to death of being found; making Naruto wonder just what happened. Sasuke had been sleeping only moments ago, but now he looked like he was doing his best to disappear into wall. He would have almost escaped Naruto's notice hidden here, if Sasuke wasn't shaking so badly that the table legs were rattling.

"Sasuke?" Naruto asked carefully, but just his voice made Sasuke tense up and squeeze himself tighter, as if to make himself as small as possible. Naruto stopped talking after that, knew better than to try getting closer right now, but couldn't just drop the tablecloth and pretend like he didn't see the boy. He couldn't let Sasuke sit alone when he was this frightened, regardless of if Sasuke would yell at him for it or not. Just what was he supposed to do; pretty sure that Sasuke didn't realize where he was right now?

"Hey, are you okay?" Naruto tried to get the other boy's attention, making his voice as gentle as possible. Sasuke mumbled something, but it was too soft for him to catch. Naruto tilted his head, wondered just what the hell he should do…He had nightmares before, sometimes of the Nine-tailed Demon Fox inside him whispering things, threatening such torture and pain that words didn't describe what it would do if that evil ever was released. Naruto was terrified of the thought that the demon would get to take over, and he'd lose himself again just like with Haku…but what if the next time he never came back to himself? It was a chilling possibility that almost made Naruto want to break down and cry, but that didn't seem to compare to whatever terror Sasuke was in the middle of.

"I'm gonna come in," Naruto said firmly, making up his mind. He couldn't just stand there while Sasuke freaked out underneath his table. When Naruto had been really young, when nobody was around and he couldn't understand why, all he had wanted was for someone to care. Anyone would have done, just to have someone actually _look_ at him instead of turning those cold eyes down on him like everyone else did. He didn't doubt that Sasuke felt the same way too. Wasn't Sasuke alone too, without a family and such a sour attitude that there was no way he could be making friends?

"Don't kill me," Sasuke whispered in a fevered rush when Naruto ducked his head underneath the table. That made Naruto stop and think twice about what he was doing. Sasuke probably didn't know it was him yet, hadn't lifted his head to see who was trying to talk to him. Well, Naruto just had to make Sasuke realize where he was and that everything was all right. They were in his apartment, for crying out loud, and Naruto wasn't about to let anyone hurt one of his teammates.

"I'm not gonna kill you," Naruto was smarter than to joke right now, keeping his voice even. He didn't think Sasuke would take well to anything above monotone right now. Naruto _did _have some sensitivity, despite what Sakura said about him. Sasuke was in obvious need of attention, and Naruto would do anything for his friends- even if Sasuke hated him or not. He got down on his knees, hunching underneath the table to join Sasuke.

"Please, don't kill me," Sasuke made it a little more desperate when Naruto came closer. Naruto decided that he was pushing his luck hard enough and simply sat down, crossing his legs and sighing heavily. Sasuke glanced up at that, wide-open and terrified eyes almost completely hidden behind his bangs. Naruto had never seen Sasuke so scared before, pure fear wracking every part of the boy's body. He forgot to keep talking, knowing there was nothing he could say to make Sasuke believe he was safe right now. He didn't have the slightest clue to what had happened in Sasuke's past, but the survivor of the Uchiha was scared out of his damn mind.

"Naruto?" Or maybe not. The paper-thin voice was barely recognizable as Sasuke's, but he finally acknowledged him. Sasuke was no longer staring at Naruto in fear, but embarrassment. Even curled up like that, Naruto could see the blush was coming in and reaching all the way up to Sasuke's ears. Sasuke obviously wasn't happy that he was finding himself underneath a table with Naruto trying to comfort him. He could almost see the shame growing in Sasuke. Probably because the Demon Fox kid had caught him hiding under the table after a bad nightmare- at least, that was what Naruto was guessing this was freaking Sasuke out so badly.

"Is it okay if I touch you?" Naruto asked before he changed his mind. Sasuke just stared at him as if Naruto had sprouted a tail and ears. The silence stretched out as Sasuke didn't even move, clenching thin, white hands into fists. Naruto wondered if he should just leave, figuring that Sasuke would prefer to be completely alone than have some loser try to help him. Naruto should have known better.

"I…guess?" Sasuke gave his permission slowly, obviously confused as Naruto moved and twisted around until he was shoulder to shoulder with him. He wasn't about to hesitate, putting an arm around Sasuke and leaning into the boy's body. It might have just been the lingering fever or the wound in his side, but Sasuke was warm and soft; just like Naruto had expected another person to be. He might be hugging Sasuke to help comfort him after whatever sort of nightmare that had been, but it also felt so _good _to be this close to someone. Naruto could feel Sasuke's heartbeat through the skin on his arm touching the back of the boy's neck, smelt the lingering disinfectants and medication left on Sasuke from the hospital, and the rigid muscles shifting as the other boy adjusted to the fact that Naruto had an arm around him.

Then, Sasuke pitched to the side, one hand catching on Naruto's shoulder and keeping him from falling all the way into his lap. Naruto stared as Sasuke buried his face into the front of his shirt and started crying. It wasn't out right sobbing- Sasuke had too much pride for that- but soft tears that were years old. Naruto just sat there, this time putting two arms around Sasuke instead of just one. He didn't say anything, still not even sure what this was about, couldn't bring himself to even make a noise right now since he figured Sasuke would only get insulted. He squeezed one shoulder, wishing that he could take away some of the pain. He was used to it. Sasuke was actually accepted by the village, was respected and probably had a future as a genius Shinobi ahead of him.

"He murdered…_everyone_," Sasuke hissed out, anger laced with fear that had yet to fade. Even Naruto could put two and two together, figuring that the 'he' was the man Sasuke had sworn to kill. It was probably the most personal thing Sasuke had ever told him, beyond when he had been dying in Naruto's arms and begged him to kill his brother for him.

"Mother. Father…Grandmother, Uncle…Meiko just gave birth to a baby girl," Sasuke's voice cracked, even though it was muffled against the front of Naruto's shirt. More names were listed, extended family members that Naruto had never even heard of before. He had always just been wondering what a mom and dad would be like, and Sasuke was talking about cousins, nephews, and aunts. Except each of those people had been killed in one night, a whole clan wiped out by a single person. Naruto couldn't imagine what Sasuke must feel like, such a prideful and arrogant bastard being the only one to survive that sort of massacre. Sasuke was probably even stupid enough to think that it was his fault, or that he could have done something to prevent it.

"I'm sorry," Naruto offered lamely, feeling awful but not having anything better to say. The crying started all over again, Sasuke moaning his Mother and Father's names over and over again. Naruto wished he could do more for Sasuke, didn't like seeing his number one rival feeling this miserable. Then again, when Naruto felt the loneliness so badly that he started to cry, he always remembered wanting someone to hold him; like he had seen mothers do for their children hundreds of times before but never once actually experienced himself. He held onto Sasuke, darkly hoping inside that Sasuke would cry for a while so he could enjoy this hug himself. It was selfish and horrible, but Naruto _liked _to feel some alive, warm, and not throwing rocks or curses at him. Sasuke just needed someone to be there right now, and Naruto wanted to comfort someone-more for himself, in the end. Hopefully, Sasuke would forgive him for this when eh came back to senses. Until then, Naruto was pathetically content underneath the table with Sasuke quickly starting to drench his clothes in tears.

Sasuke's face still hurt, his eyes bruised red and purple from crying. Hell, he hadn't done that since…since Itachi had left the village. He felt raw inside and out but at least his side didn't hurt, more confused and mortified to find himself sobbing his life out on Naruto's shoulder. Funny thing was, Sasuke couldn't have stopped for the life of him. It was Naruto's fault anyway, for whistling happily when he had finally started coming around, noticing the sunset in the window and connecting the two together before he was even fully coherent. His body still remembered it, his stomach turning into an ice-cold lump that was freezing up his organs and blood while his legs were already running. At least, trying to before Sasuke had found himself with tingling, numb feet. He had scrabbled for cover blindly, the whistling getting louder as if his brother was coming closer; _that _day all over again.

Naruto had found Sasuke underneath the table, but Sasuke didn't exactly remember that in his panic. He came to with Naruto holding him, not saying a word. Sasuke had never expected him to be to understanding about it, not even once asking why he had chosen underneath the table or if there was anything he could 'do.' That wasn't the sort of help he needed, Sasuke's wasn't even sure himself what he had wanted until Naruto was hugging him silently. Just another person, someone who actually gave a fuck about _him_, not Uchiha Sasuke of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke wasn't sure how long he had been crying, but he had never once shed a tear for his family's death. To do so would be weak, would be why he would fail to kill Itachi. He _had _to defeat his brother- it was the only way to get rid of the horrible feeling he carried around all the time, why he woke up screaming and trying to hide in a safe, dark place. The need to avenge his clan, and the possibility that he wouldn't be able to, made the tears come out fresh.

Sasuke finished crying days, years later…or only long enough for the sun to finally go down and darken Naruto's apartment. He couldn't bring himself to move, wasn't brave enough to say anything. He didn't want Naruto to know he was fine now, didn't want to move from the comfortable spot he had found between the wall and curtain of the tablecloth, but most of all didn't want to deal with Naruto's teasing. Even if the boy was being silent and caring right now, Sasuke was sure that would change the moment he said he was all right. And he still wasn't, not used to crying after so many years of holding back and becoming hard, because he had lost anyone that would have supported him. He had never once taken the time to feel sorry for himself, because it would have only made him weaker and keep him from beating Itachi when they finally met again.

Naruto had once again showed Sasuke an amazing amount of care and understanding, patting him on the shoulder before withdrawing his arms. Sasuke missed the comfort, not about ready to move yet- before he reminded himself he was a ninja and wasn't allowed comforts like this. He had moved out from underneath the table before he lost his chance, angry with himself for getting swept up in the middle of the same old nightmare and Naruto for being so damn _nice _right now. Naruto didn't even say a word, just gently directed Sasuke to the bathroom and closed the door.

It had to be a silent command to clean up. Naruto couldn't possible want to see Sasuke falling to pieces like this; finally grieving for the family he had been robbed of. Sasuke had taken a hot shower, stood there underneath the water with silent tears joining the current as it all washed down the drain. When the warm water slowly became cold, Sasuke felt empty and slightly better, the numbness much more pleasant than that tear agony that had consumed him only moments ago. He had to open a few cabinets to find a clean towel, not about to use the one hanging on the rack, but only finding a first-aid kit, extra toilet paper, and a stuffed frog toy until Sasuke came across the right shelf. He had been about to put the robe back on before he caught wind of it, the fabric reeking of himself, an unwashed body, and dried, old sweat. How _long _had he been sleeping?!

But that only left Sasuke with another dilemma, which was where he was now. He needed different clothes, but he couldn't ask Naruto, nor walk out there with only a towel. Nobody had even seen his shoulders bare before, not since Mother died. Itachi had left him with hypersensitive modesty, knowing that he had puckered red and purple lines on otherwise pale flesh. They just wouldn't heal, probably never would, and Sasuke wasn't about to use some lotion to make them go away. Then he would be caring about his looks, just like everyone assumed he did when they saw his pretty face, just like Itachi had accused him of. Sasuke wasn't about let his brother be right, about anything.

_ Knock, knock. _

"Sasuke, are you still in there? I need to take a shower too," Naruto hollered from the other side of the door, obviously not pleased with how long he was taking. He hadn't expected the sudden noise, taking a moment to force the freezing stiffness out of his limbs. Sasuke could have sworn his heart had jumped up into his throat and was now stuck fast. Sasuke swallowed, taking a deep breath before trying to speak.

"Could I borrow some clothes?" Sasuke made sure his voice was loud enough for Naruto to hear, realizing this was his chance to solve the situation entirely. This way, Naruto wouldn't even get the chance to see him or the scars.

"Oh…yeah, sure," Naruto called back, sounding a bit surprised. As if he was disappointed Sasuke wasn't going to walk out naked. Sasuke just told himself to deal with it, not get angry, and just be thankful that Naruto was showing him this much hospitality. He hadn't really expected it of the other boy, but then again, when had he ever taken the time to get to know Naruto? Sasuke sighed again, hating himself and the fate he'd been left with, but it had been far to long to do anything different now.

There was another knock and the door opened slightly. A hand poked its way through the crack with a set of folded clothes. Sasuke didn't doubt that Naruto's head was turned the other way as well. Why would the idiot want to be peeking at him, anyway? Sasuke was almost beginning to feel stupid for being scared in the first place, taking the bundle and letting Naruto close the door softly. Who would have thought the idiot could actually give a person a little privacy when they were changing? Even so, what was sadder was what a difference there was in their sizes. Naruto's bright red shirt hung off his neck and dipped down around his chest, the sleeves just above his elbows. Just how could the boy had picked this out for him? Wasn't he _taller _than Naruto? There was also a pair of regular white boxers, but Sasuke turned them inside out and grimaced as he pulled them on. It was _Naruto _after all, and he couldn't wait to get back home to his own clean clothes. To top it all off, Sasuke was left with a pair of blue shorts, as if Naruto had been trying to mismatch…Well, it wasn't like anyone was going to see him here in the end anyway. He hung up the towel and picked up the robe, checking himself one more time in the mirror to remind himself that he was an avenger, nothing more.

Sasuke gathered himself up and left the bathroom, stepping out int the single large room that served as Naruto's apartment. The light was now turned one, illuminating the place in a bright yellow glow. Sasuke saw the blonde in the kitchen, standing in front of the refrigerator with the door open as he chugged down milk straight from the bottle. Naruto noticed him and put the milk back, wiping his mouth as he closed the door.

"Finally!" Naruto snapped, jumping past Sasuke to eagerly rush toward the bathroom. Sasuke couldn't tell if he was relieved or irritated, and told himself fiercely that he didn't care. It wasn't as if a few minutes of close contact was going to change things between them. Naruto kept on screaming that Sasuke was his rival, and he just could never accept losing to the moron, so things had continued as such. There wasn't room in Sasuke's life for anything other than an enemy. Itachi, Naruto, even Kakashi was someone to compete with, because _he _was the last real Uchiha.

Sasuke sniffed, rubbing at his nose miserably. If he kept thinking about it, he was going to start crying again. Just when he thought he had already let it all out, too. Sasuke took a deep breath, deciding to investigate Naruto's place for the time being instead. It was definitely cleaner than the little bits Sasuke could remember from earlier, and Sasuke wondered how much of it was for his benefit. There was a television, as he would expect from a mindless dolt like Naruto, as well as several dozen magazines stacked against the wall. Sasuke was half-surprised Naruto could even read. By the magazines were unused notebooks, probably from when they had been Genins. Sasuke and Sakura both had several notebooks full of writings from their classes, but they had both been excellent students. A good day for Naruto had been when he only fell asleep once during class. He absently picked one up as he heard the water start, flipping open the pages and only finding one with writing on it: Naruto's name and a sloppy doodle of the Konoha mark underneath it.

There was a scream and sudden curses that Sasuke didn't doubt were directed at the temperature of the water he had left Naruto with. He ignored the muffled complaining as he started to search the place for a pen, figuring that Naruto would be a while. He had to do something to keep himself busy, instead of_ thinking_, and Sasuke didn't think that he'd be able to keep walk around much longer. His side was beginning to ache, not as bad as before, but promising to become worse if he aggravated it. Not seeing anything out on the immediate countertops and the single table, Sasuke decided that the kitchen would probable be the place to find _something_ to write with. He shuffled over carefully, using one arm braced against his side to keep from jostling healing flesh. Since Naruto wasn't there to see just how feeble he was right now, Sasuke didn't mind taking it slow. What would be even worse was if he tried to ignore it like usual and ended up falling down, disabled on the floor for Naruto to come and find. Sasuke wouldn't be able to bear yet another humiliation in front of the idiot.

Sasuke pulled open one drawer and found it full of forks and unopened packets of chopsticks. The next was a mix of shuriken and kunai. What kind of idiot stored his weapons in the kitchen? Sasuke sighed, realizing his answer was currently taking a cold shower. In the third drawer, Sasuke found a yo-yo, a small rubber frog, a coupon book for Ichiraku Ramen, and _finally_, a pen. He grabbed it and made his way back to the table, this time actually sitting at chair. Sasuke frowned at that memory, opening up the notebook and switching the pen to his right hand. He was never going to act like that again in front of the other boy, couldn't believe that of all people that had to be there for Sasuke when he to finally broke down, it was Naruto. People would laugh aloud at the irony if rumor of this ever spread. It wasn't the first time he had escaped from the hospital, but this was the first for actually needing help to do it. Naruto wasn't supposed to be dependable, or sympathetic, putting aside their rivalry and actually acting like a friend. It had been so damn long…

So, why the _hell _wasn't leaving right now? Sasuke bitterly changed his thoughts. He could tell himself that it was because it was already nighttime, that he was smarter than to go walking around Naruto's neighborhood at night, but it was no excuse. He should be leaving right now, sure that he had already imposed far too long. He had already said 'thank you' last night…or whenever it had been. Sasuke should just leave- after he apologized for crying. It was galling, but he had better say something rather than leave it alone. Naruto might just run at the mouth next time they were in public, and Sasuke didn't need anyone to know that he had gone soft. It had just been a momentary thing, the tears all dried up and gone now. _He _should probably feel sorry for Naruto having to sit there through it silently.

Maybe it wasn't an apology that was owed, but a 'thank you.' He couldn't deny that it had been so nice to feel like someone else was watching him, wasn't going to let Itachi kill him without a fight even though Sasuke's brother was far away right now. He would have never thought of Naruto as safe, at least not before tonight; but that was exactly how Naruto had made him feel. It was dangerous, to admit that much. If he wasn't careful, Naruto might end up meaning something to him, and Sasuke couldn't have that. If he never made friends, than he never had to see anyone important die again. He had to leave, before he got to know Naruto any better and became-

"Damn it, Sasuke, did you have to use _all _the hot water?!" Naruto snapped, coming out in the same clothes and wet hair, looking chilled and pissed. Sasuke just shrugged, not about to explain that right now as he stared down blindly, keeping his hand moving so it looked like he was still doing something. Should he apologize for crying, just admit that it had been a breakdown, or should he say thank you for Naruto staying there? If he thanked Naruto, it would mean he liked it, and then the blonde would probably be disgusted. Who wouldn't be?

"I'm…sorry. I'm not usually like this, just… with you whistling, and the sunset-…" Sasuke started slowly as Naruto crossed the room and went into the corner that served as the kitchen.

"You're usually a jerk, so this apology thing doesn't fit you. What flavor Ramen do you want?" Naruto cut him off in the middle of it, all that quiet understanding gone after his shower. Sasuke stared, speechless after being cut off in the middle of something that had been so hard in the first place. It was if Naruto didn't even want to here the explanation, didn't care, or was even trying to save Sasuke's pride in a rough sort of way. Sasuke very much doubted the third, already so open and sore emotionally that Naruto's flippant question actually managed to hurt. Naruto had never once been held so high in Sasuke's esteem that the idiot could ever say anything that mattered.

"Naruto, I was trying to be serious!" Sasuke snapped back, furious that Naruto had belittled the apology he had tried to make. Was he going to be left with a single shred of pride once he left this apartment? Sasuke had to find a way out, getting desperate to avoid any further contact with Naruto. He wasn't handling this well, would either soften up or cry again, and neither was an option.

"You think _I'm_ not? I've got Beef, Shrimp, Chicken, Spicy Peppers and Beef- when the hell did I get that?" Naruto trailed off, picking up one cup and peering at the label curiously as he shifted through the selection. Sasuke could tell from his seat that there was nothing else in the cabinet but more prepackaged ramen. He wondered if Naruto had even tasted anything that wasn't cooked in less than three minutes and didn't have noodles.

"I don't _care_!" Sasuke yelled out louder than he had intended. Naruto just managed to get under his skin and eat away at his patience faster than anyone else. It made his side ache, to use such a loud voice, but Sasuke wasn't about to regret it. If Naruto didn't want to even _listen _to his apology, than why did Sasuke have to bother playing nice anymore? It would be better to get Naruto away now, before the moron learned anything more about his life.

"My favorite is Shrimp right now, so I'll make two," Naruto returned cheerfully, completely ignoring Sasuke's bad mood. As if he was simply dealing with a child having a tantrum. Except Sasuke _wasn't_, he was older now and far more skilled than Naruto could ever dream of being. Just because he had cried, Naruto was acting like _he_ was the mature one between the two of them. Ridiculous!

"I'll kill you," Sasuke promised, determined to have an 'accident' on the next training session. Nobody would miss Naruto, and if the truth ever came out anyway, the whole village would probable praise him for it…That pessimistic truth sobered Sasuke up to horrible thoughtlessness of that desire. _Nobody_ would miss Naruto. _Nobody_ had ever once talked about the idiot unless it was to insult or curse him, and…Sasuke had never done anything. Hadn't tried to get to his know his teammate beyond the bare minimum, hadn't once told a person that they were wrong and Naruto was different. The incident in the hospital had been the only time he had corrected someone on calling Naruto a demon, because…because…how could a demon be the first person to ever wait at his bedside before? It wasn't hero-worship, blind affection over his looks, or the glory of the Uchiha name, but simple worry about how badly Sasuke had been hurt. It had been Naruto's fault, after all.

"Oh, did I get added to the list?" Naruto sneered as he started some water in a beat-up kettle on the stovetop, not impressed. Sasuke didn't answer back, feeling guilty, ashamed, and too damn tired to do anything about it. He stared down at the notebook he had taken, realizing for the first time that his hand had been moving while his mind had wandered. It was a dull, uninspired sketch of a tree, leaves drawn over and over until he had finally started to do a background; a faint outline of a fence and mountains…Sasuke recognized it as a tree outside his house, the old mansion before it had burned down. He could never really let go of it, no matter what he did. There wasn't a day that passed without that night coming up, grabbing him by the teeth, and shaking him hard to remind Sasuke just what had happened to his family.

He _would _kill Itachi-

"Hey, that's pretty good. Didja ever think of being an artist?" Naruto asked at his elbow, too close for comfort. Sasuke jerked up, regretting the sharp movement as his side protested, but too startled to repress the instinctive reaction of his body. Naruto didn't stop examining the picture Sasuke had made, forcing a bit of heat onto Sasuke's cheeks. He had just done that to keep himself entertained until Naruto had gotten out of the shower, not as a lifetime career!

"No, I'm going to kill-…"

"Yeah, yeah, have you _ever_ thought that might be a while? Do you even knowwhen you're going to meet your brother again?" Naruto cut him off for the second time. Sasuke _hated _being disregarded so carelessly, but he had to think on Naruto's question. An answer didn't come immediately, and Sasuke felt a coldness starting to form in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know when he was going to see Itachi again, didn't even know where his brother was right now. It had long since lost track of Itachi.

"I don't know, but-…" Sasuke started yet again.

"And when you do, and you kill him, what then?" Since when did Naruto have a thing called insight?! Naruto was supposed to be the brainless idiot, the loser that couldn't get a jitsu right to save his life, and now he was poking around in Sasuke's business like he had any sort of justification. Even worse, his words had some weight behind them, punching holes in Sasuke's lifetime ambition so easily. They were just on the same team, nothing more! Sasuke would have never talked to Naruto otherwise, would have ignored the idiot like the rest of the village and never would be here, listening to this drabble!

"I have to train to make sure that _does _happen," Sasuke growled, furiated that Naruto saw fit to stand so close, still staring down at the damn picture. It wasn't even any good, and Sasuke didn't need some dumb blonde consoling him and giving him fake compliments. It made him sick. Sasuke didn't need this.

"So you can be a good killer? What are you gonna to be when the thing you do best in murder?" Naruto shot right back. There were plenty of jobs for a ninja; this was a Hidden Village, after all! It wasn't as if Sasuke would be completely hopeless if all he could do were assassination techniques. He would be praised for it in a place like that. But, he still had yet to actually kill another person. It didn't bother him, because he knew he wouldn't hesitate. Simple enough to do it, but he didn't know what would happen afterward. All the other older Shinobi had a look in their eyes, hardened and dead, and Sasuke didn't doubt it was with guilt for all the lives they had taken. Even Kakashi looked like that sometimes, but it didn't frighten Sasuke. He had a mission to fulfill.

"I'll kill Ita…chi," Sasuke snapped back, faltering a bit at the end. Pathetic really, how he was proud that he actually got Itachi's name out in the same breath. It was probably because he was in front of Naruto right now, and didn't want to seem any delicate than he already had been. He couldn't let Naruto know any more weak points, not after the boy had seen him cry. How much more pathetic would he be then?

"Okay, so you manage to do it. Are you going to continue being a murderer after that?" Sasuke had never once honestly thought that far ahead. He had no answer, and Naruto simply stared at him, waiting. Sasuke couldn't understand how someone's eyes could be so blue, still wide and bright despite everything he had been through. Sasuke had gotten hard,_ fast_, after his clan had been massacred, but Naruto had been like this since day one. Naruto suddenly wasn't so simple and idiotic as Sasuke had always passed him off as, confusing and sharp. Sasuke didn't like being off balance in a conversation with Naruto.

He was saved by the whistle of the teapot, Naruto frowning before finally standing up straight and walking back to the stove. The idiot turned off the water, messing around in the kitchen as Sasuke embarrassedly closed the notebook and discretely tossed it to the side. He waited with his head bowed forward, hoping that the silence could just continue forever. Of course, it was a futile wish when he was in the same room as Naruto.

"Here you go, Ramen Uzumaki Style!" Naruto announced, setting down two cups with the labels half-open. Naruto put a fork down on top of his and shoved it in front of Sasuke. What part of this was 'Uzumaki Style?' It still had yet to be cooked with the hot water just poured in. Sasuke frowned down at the poor excuse of a dinner, wondering how this could possibly be Naruto's favorite food- _and_ he managed to have more muscle than Sasuke. He had never seen a case such walking irony before, hating the fact that in the end, Naruto was his number one rival. It was probably because he just saw so much of the bastard.

"What would you do if you didn't become Hokage, Naruto?" Sasuke asked slowly while they both waited for the ramen to warm up. He wanted to see how the idiot would act when someone verbally tore apart _his _dream. Just who would be the weak one then? Naruto blinked up from cracking his knuckles, seeming to give it a moment of serious thought before answering.

"Keep trying. Did that fall mess up your hearing too? I'm gonna be Hokage," Naruto answered back, getting more energetic by the minute. Sasuke regretted asking the first place, his plan backfiring perfectly. Naruto believed in himself, completely and without question. There was nothing anyone could say to make him doubt himself. It irritated Sasuke, and yet at the same time impressed him. Such an idiot, and yet Naruto never once admitted to the cold reality of the fact that he just didn't have what it took to be Hokage. As if hard work really would get him somewhere in life. Naruto didn't give up, and Sasuke doubted if the idiot even knew the meaning of the word 'futile.'

"Why don't you just heal, already? I can't fucking _wait_ to go on a mission again," Naruto demanded excitedly, practically sparkling with the thought of a new mission for them all. Even though they were usually botched by Naruto, in the end. Sasuke frowned at the blonde for making it sound like this was his fault, when he hadn't been the one walking into a damn _hole _in the middle of a forest. He shouldn't have even bothered and just let Naruto fall, the ungrateful idiot.

"I'll leave after this _meal,_" Sasuke snapped right back, making sure that Naruto knew just how lame he thought a cup of noodles was. It didn't even stand as a dinner, at least not without something actually solid and baked to the side. Did Naruto even have bread, or was it simply ramen day after day? Sasuke knew that the idiot loved it, but that much?! Sasuke was already feeling sick and he hadn't even touched his portion yet.

"Hey, I didn't say that. Geez, you're touchy," Naruto grumbled as he peeled back the label and poked inside with a fork. The blonde used his fingers to pick out a noodle from the utensil, testing the softness and frowned before he pulled the paper top back into place and waited for it to warm up some more. Sasuke was going to go crazy, stuck here staring at Naruto and the despicable way he conducted himself.

"I'm leaving now," Sasuke snapped, knowing he was a burden, sickly and unconscious most of the time, a crybaby for the other part, and didn't want Naruto to waste a beloved cup of noodles on someone who didn't even want any. He was sick of this, and wanted to go back home to be alone as soon as possible. At least he was used to that, and didn't have to feel so uncomfortable sitting there while Naruto stood. For the first time, Naruto felt taller than him, and Sasuke didn't like it one bit.

"You better not, it's already dark and you're…" Naruto trailed off, suddenly finding the surface of the table much more interesting than completing a sentence. Sasuke waited for it, not about to interrupt another person in midspeech, unlike a certain idiot. The blonde didn't continue, pursing his lips and squinting his eyes, but not saying another word.

"What?" Sasuke demanded finally, his patience already gone a long time ago. Naruto shrugged and barked out a few short, nervous laughs, looking guilty and embarrassed. It only confused Sasuke further, wondering just why Naruto was the uncomfortable one right now; not that he didn't appreciate the switch. Sasuke didn't think he could stand being the ass of Naruto's jokes one second longer.

"Well, I mean, come on. In this part of town, with your…" Naruto scoffed like this was common knowledge, and yet couldn't tell Sasuke just what the reason was. He trailed off and started to stare at the wall above Sasuke's head, as if he wouldn't notice that Naruto was doing his best to avoid eye contact. The blonde was a horrible liar, not able to even act calm when they were in the middle of a tense situation. Sasuke still couldn't tell if Naruto was ignoring them on purpose, or if he really was that stupid.

"With my _what_?" Sasuke barely managed not to yell, irritated that he had to draw every single answer out of Naruto. The idiot had to be led by the hand to do _anything _at all! How did the dumbass even manage to get himself out of bed, dressed, and to their usual meeting spot in the morning? Naruto's lower lip jutted out, a sure sign that he was starting to get angry and stubborn as well at Sasuke's irritation…Naruto didn't even understand_ why_ he was annoyed! Sasuke's wasn't the one overreacting here; he had a damn hole that was healing, itching, and burning in side while Naruto badgered him about his entire life. __

"You're good looking, _okay_? Aren't you sick of hearing it yet? You're pretty, there's some bad guys out there, and they happen to live on this block," Naruto admitted hotly, obviously not pleased that he had been forced to share this opinion. Sasuke blinked at the other boy, struck silent by the bitter compliment and the knowledge that Naruto cared enough to have to say something. It was misplaced and doubtful, since Sasuke could more than take care of himself- even though the headache and heat coming from the current wound in his torso begged to differ.

"Thanks, idiot," Sasuke answered shortly, feeling a smile coming across his face despite best intentions. Naruto's face only scrunched up further, the three whiskers on either side of his face giving Naruto the impression of a perturbed cat trying to figure out if he was edible or not. He didn't know how Naruto did it, but for some reason Sasuke felt relaxed, at complete ease for the first time…in a _long _time, he realized as Sasuke couldn't remember when he had last actually felt calm enough let down his shields, just a little bit. He didn't even question it now, sure that if he tried to fight this any more, he'd either end up embarrassing himself further or doing something he'd regret.

"I just don't wanna get blamed if they found your corpse two doors down," Naruto grumbled as he tore the label off all the way and began to stir his ramen carelessly. Sasuke frowned at that cold comment, before he caught Naruto opening up one eye slightly to check him up and down for the reaction. As if hoping Sasuke would start to argue, because that would mean he actually gave a damn about what Naruto thought about him. Sasuke supposed any sort of attention was good enough for Naruto, and Sasuke had always been dependable for a decent fight. Still, it was strange to think about someone feeling sorry over _his _death; Sasuke hadn't pondered on the end of his life that much. He knew that Sakura would cry, along with the rest of the female population in the entire village, but it would be for his pretty face. Sasuke wondered if Naruto would miss him, them being rivals and all.

"As if anyone in this village could kill me, idiot," Sasuke returned, even though he wasn't making any moves to get out of the chair and prove Naruto wrong. What reason did he have to tempt fate now, when things seemed to be actually going well, for once? His side had certainly not healed yet, no matter how many days and/or nights he had wasted unconscious at Naruto's place. It would probably be even longer still until the stitches would be able to come out and he could get back to missions and training.

"Man, when you heal, I'm going to beat you so bad you won't even remember saying that," Naruto snapped out, pointing his fork at Sasuke threateningly before he started to noisily slurp down the noodles. Sasuke couldn't help a short chuckle at the utter ridiculousness of that thought. The _last_ person to teach him a lesson would be Naruto. He looked forward to Naruto attempting to beat him, yet _again_, because it would give Sasuke an opportunity to show Naruto who was the best and most skilled on their team.

"I'd like to see you try. I've lost count of out fights, but you haven't right? It's got to be easy to remember your number of wins…Zero," Sasuke grinned, feeling vicious and delighted in it. He hadn't been this worked up or openly engaged in this verbal bout of fighting in years. It was just Naruto's stubbornness and unshakable confidence was like running headfirst into a wall, which only made Sasuke want to break it down more. Especially when that wall seemed to think it was better than him, being a full four foot five, maybe taller with all that blonde hair.

"Just you wait, Uchiha, I'll kick your ass so hard you'll be _begging _me to stop," Naruto made another wide sweep with his fork, splattering some hot, salty water on Sasuke's face and hand. He cursed, wiping it off on Naruto's shirt before he caught stupidity from the blonde's saliva.

"Oh, please, Naruto. You were the one who needed saving last," Sasuke shot back, pointing out that if it hadn't been for him, Naruto would be skewered at the bottom of a pit right now. He was completely grossed out now, what little appetite he'd been left with when he had a major wound gone now. He couldn't understand how Naruto could live like this, so sloppy in everything he did. How was he going to become Hokage when he didn't even have table manners?

"I was the one who carried you to the hospital!" Naruto roared immediately, not about to let Sasuke make his task seem small. Oh, yes, Sasuke could remember a bit of that dash out of the Forbidden Area; lashed to Naruto's back like luggage because the idiot was too rough to manage a simple piggyback ride for long. Moron.

"It was _your _fault in the first place!" Why was he still even trying to explain this to Naruto? The idiot just couldn't seem to fit the fact that he had messed up into his small, little brain. What self-respecting Genin would simply _walk _over a pit? He could expect such from Sakura, who was rarely paying attention to things like that in the first place, but Naruto kept insisting that he was the better ninja. It was totally infuriating to deal with this sort of idiot, who didn't listen to one second of common sense.

"Well, sorry for trying to help, you depressing jerk," Naruto grumbled out sourly, more than loud enough for Sasuke to hear. And, it was like a string that had been stretched out to its very limits finally snapped.

"I _told _you I'm _not _DEPRESSING!" Sasuke screamed it out, so frustrated that tears came out of the corner of his eyes, which only made him angrier. He fought them back while Naruto stared at him, his mouth stuck in a little 'o' and eyes very, very wide with fear-confusion? Sasuke didn't know, panting with the effort of yelling around the pain in his side while Naruto stood frozen next to him. He was so inexplicably cute, too. It was like yelling at a baby kitten as Naruto simply blinked at Sasuke after his outburst, not comprehending what could have upset him so badly, and so quickly. As if crying underneath the table wasn't bad enough, now Sasuke was completely losing his temper too. No words made up for this, and Sasuke didn't have anything left inside for an apology. Naruto wasn't speaking either, looking stunned and bit wary as he wavered on two feet, crab stepping closer. Sasuke glanced up in a daze, once again enraptured by eyes that could be so impossibly clear and confident.

It might have been that Naruto leaned in closer than necessary. It could have been Sasuke sitting upright in his awkwardness. Either way, their lips met again and this time, Sasuke didn't think it was entirely an accident. After years of not touching anyone, and now kissing someone that Sasuke had to admit he respected; it was overwhelming. He was trembling, unable to stop it, too scared to deepen this or move away. Naruto just sucked a bit, gently urging Sasuke to relax just a bit-when did the idiot get to take the lead? He was about to complain when Naruto slid his tongue into his mouth, soft and foreign against Sasuke's teeth. What was he supposed to do, when whatever Naruto was making him feel warm and alive inside? It was like what Itachi had done, yet not, because Sasuke wasn't scared, just bewildered and unsure if either of them knew what they were doing. Naruto seemed to sense the change that took place whenever Sasuke thought of his brother, easing back and ending the kiss so slowly that Sasuke had enough time to start regretting it. He didn't say anything though, hoping that Naruto would just explain this before he had to think too hard and start realizing what the hell had just happened.

"Does this mean we're friends now?" Naruto asked softly, and Sasuke didn't have the answer for the life of him.

When Sasuke finally showed back up again for their meetings, healed enough for missions and obviously ready to go, Kakashi noticed the change immediately. There was nothing out of the usual for Sakura to jump up and hug Sasuke to welcome him back; asking him how he had managed to get out of the hospital- which was something their teacher would still like to know as well. Kakashi wasn't about to do anything without any hard evidence, but he knew that Naruto had played more than his part. It wasn't just the fact that when Naruto said something, he was actually getting a nod or a grunt, or that Naruto was allowed to pat Sasuke on the shoulder when Sakura finally let the dark-haired boy go. It was that Sasuke was actually _looking _at his fellow teammates right now, not just observing with jaded, hard eyes.

The three continued with their reunion as Kakashi watched his main protégé even crack the faintest of smiles as Sakura told the two boys a story that had Naruto laughing aloud. Something was very, very different about Sasuke, and yet it was so subtle he almost might have missed it if it wasn't Kakashi job to know his students inside and out. For once, the three of them actually seemed like a team instead of the constant bickering. Naruto always yelled at Sasuke, even though the boy only threw back cold comments that Naruto should really have learned to expect by now. In turn, it only made Sakura take out punishment on the short blonde, since she was so infatuated by Sasuke, and never once noticed that Naruto was completely smitten by her. It had always been a strange triangle without a single member ever getting the affection they wanted in turn, which had been the main source of unrest in Kakashi's team.

Except today, Naruto and Sasuke were getting along, and the effect was immediate. Sakura was speaking to them both equally, as she usually did, but today it wasn't to make sure that both boys played nice and didn't fight today. Since Naruto and Sasuke weren't provoking each other, the calm interchange almost seemed like a bizarre nightmare. He wasn't used to his students all getting along, and almost didn't know how to start the meeting if it wasn't to first put a stop to Naruto and Sasuke fighting or keep Sakura from killing Naruto.

"Okay, then, since we're all here on time-…" Kakashi started, putting a thumb on the page he was reading before letting the book close for once so he could look at his students. He might be a little bit late, but his students were finally all present and accounted for as they stood by one of the large bridges leading out of the village. It was another perfect day, blue sky with a few clouds pushed along by a nice breeze, which was half the reason why it had taken him a little bit longer than usual to get here.

"You were fifteen minutes late!" Sakura snapped out before Kakashi could even start, pointing a finger in accusation. Naruto nodded, crossing his arms and standing by Sakura as if he hadn't come at just the same time Kakashi had. Sasuke had come even later, but Sakura wasn't about to give a lecture to the object of her affection. Kakashi wondered if there was any other teacher that had to deal with this kind of abuse from his students. Kakashi wasn't even going to bother giving Sasuke a lecture, knowing that it wouldn't be listened to in the first place, and Sakura would probably start to get angry with him for daring to teach some snot-nosed, wet behind the ears brat from a established clan. At least Naruto, for all of his problems and down fallings, was willing to learn.

"There was a house burning and-…" Kakashi started as usual, not about to tell them the truth: he just didn't wake up early enough to get there on time. He had to make coffee, had to smoke one lonely cigarette to accompany the cup, and try to remember exactly why he had to live through this day. It was pretty hard to do when he woke up alone. Now his little daily tradition was the only thing that kept him company when Iruka had to leave to go teach or get a set of his own clothes, whatever the excuse was at the time. Just a few days with Iruka, spotted here and there throughout their relationship, and Kakashi could barely start without it. He couldn't let go of it, no matter what. Kakashi had developed it into perfection over the years, which was why he was actually standing in front of his three, adorable students right now, trying to think of the best way to turn them all into excellent ninjas.

"Are you even _trying _any more?! That's such a lie! _I _could lie better," Naruto pointed out, which only made Kakashi frown further. To be called a bad lie by the worst Genin in the whole village was a little much, even if it had been pretty farfetched in the first place. Sasuke and Sakura only nodded on either side of Naruto, as if the three of them had come into complete agreement. Kakashi sighed, seeing that they had already forgotten the few days spent in the Forbidden Area. It looked like he was going to have to train them all over again, with something even more dangerous…

…he was going to have to do a little more research for this one. As much as he'd like to, this wasn't the sort of thing he could have ready in a few minutes. Kakashi was nothing if not lazy at heart, and he would need a few days to get everything arranged in order to properly punis-_train_ his students. Perfectionism was also a handy trait to have, though it meant he was constantly disappointed by this ragtag assemble of kids in front of him. Naruto couldn't listen to instructions at _all_, Sakura did the bare minimum just to keep herself in the same team as Sasuke, and the boy genius had an attitude much bigger than his thin stature.

"Now, don't be so angry. I have good news for you all today," Kakashi encouraged them to listen. Naruto was immediately all ears at 'good news,' likely thinking that they were about to receive a B-rank mission or such. Sakura turned to him excitedly as well, obviously hoping for an early end today since Sasuke had just come back from the last mission. And Sasuke was just staring off at the tree line, disinterested as usual. Nothing ever seemed to be 'good,' 'bad,' or _anything _with the youngest Uchiha, just as cold and emotionless as his brother had been. Thank God there wasn't the same bloodlust underneath that dark front inside Sasuke, or Kakashi would have had his hands full. As it was, Sasuke was already starting to surpass what he could teach them all as a group, and was going to need individual attention soon if Kakashi was going to keep the boy from running off to the slaughter, all in the name of revenge.

"Today, we're simply having a little endurance race to make sure you're all in shape after our break! Hooray," Kakashi called it out as if they had won a prize on a game show, clapping his hands together to rouse them. Sakura and Naruto's faces fell immediately, the blonde making a loud noise of disappointment. Sasuke had yet to even turn his head toward their meeting, though he had clearly heard what Kakashi had just announced. Sakura was already making small whimpering and crying noises to the side- until Naruto tried to comfort her and was immediately followed by the sound a fist connecting solidly. Kakashi checked out of the corner of his eye to see Naruto flat on his back in the middle of the road, a rather nasty looking lump coming in on the side of his face. Sometimes Kakashi couldn't understand how the girl had so much strength in her thin arms.

"That's _it!_ Where's this damn race?!" Sakura snarled, turning around on Kakashi with her eyes unfocused. Maybe he was pushing her a little too far right after the girl's incident in the Forbidden Area, since she had been separated from the boys and managed to fall into every mud pit along the way. Well, Sakura could always make do with a little toughening up and Naruto and Sasuke had so much stamina it was ridiculous, but they did still need a few hard lessons in humility.

"Right here," Kakashi stomped one foot on the bridge and jerked a thumb back at the old trail going into the forest. It was one path that went the whole way around the village; through the woods surrounding one side and up the mountains above the monumental carvings of the previous Hokages. It was still early morning, so if they set out a good, moderate pace the whole way through, Kakashi could expect them to finish sometime in the late evening. That would be plenty of time to finish up the latest volume of Love Love Paradise without Naruto demanding his attention or Sasuke giving him more lip.

"Geh. I'm gonna die," Naruto moaned when he looked down the small dirt path. Kakashi doubted any of them knew where it would lead, but Naruto was already complaining. Sakura was showing the most determination today, already blowing past Kakashi to storm off down the path. His clothes ruffled with the wind of her passing before Naruto and Sasuke blasted forward as well, insults shooting back and forth long after they were out of sight. They could scare off a ninja team with the noise alone. Kakashi shook his head at his students before trodding over to the grass on the side of the road, a nice shady place next to the small stream running through the village to lay down a take a nap before he started to read. He had plenty of time to wait for his students to come back.

Sakura heard Naruto and Sasuke coming up behind her before Sasuke fell in beside her, obviously slowing down to match. He nodded to her before looking straight ahead, concentrating on his breathing and where they were going. It was a race, but Kakashi had said it would be about endurance, so there was no need to rush yet. Even now, Sasuke managed to look so handsome, eyes narrowed down dangerous to see the path ahead. And to think that she almost had missed this! She hadn't heard anything about this being a team effort, so she was off and running before Kakashi could keep her any longer. She didn't have a day to waste _running _when she could be at home, working on her cooking. She had heard a rumor from her friends that had only been confirmed by Ino; Sasuke liked a girl who could cook. It made complete sense with one glance, Sasuke just as thin as her at the waist, though broader in the shoulders. Even worse, Sakura was a horrible cook at anything that wasn't a sweet or candy. She didn't know how to make a full meal, and Mother had promised to teach her once she got back from class today. And now they had an endurance race? Just how much worse could things get?

"Damn it, wait up!" Naruto yelled out as he finally caught up to them. Oh, yes, she forget for a moment just who was her other teammate. Having Naruto with them was some sort of karma for being so lucky to be paired up with Sasuke. With a little concentration and experience, she had learned to ignore Naruto for the most part. The large bruise on the side of his face was just another mark for when he had tried to hug her when she had started crying. She only wanted Sasuke to do that, but he was too busy looking forward, not at her.

"Naruto, this is your fault," she snapped back, not so much out of breath from running that she couldn't yell at the boy. How was she ever supposed to get in a good situation for love to blossom when Naruto insisted on getting in the way every time! No early breaks from missions, blundering and taking Sasuke down with him, just being plain annoying, and more were all counts against the short blonde. Naruto peered over at her, pumping his arms as they all traveled down the path.

"Huh, why is it my fault? She sounds just like you, Sasuke!" Naruto called back at the dark-haired boy who was slightly closer to Sakura now. She glanced over at the other boy, wondering just when Naruto had become so familiar with Sasuke's name. It was strange to hear the two talking like decent human beings for once, and don't think for a second that she didn't notice something was up. What was with this closeness between Naruto and Sasuke? Sure, they had shown a few signs of good teamwork before, but that was only because they were in life and death situations! She wasn't about to lose Sasuke to _Naruto_, was she?

"Shut up, moron," Sasuke called back just loudly enough to be heard, always cool and composed. Sakura couldn't help sighing in relief. That was more like it, an insult instead of a name. She could always depend on her Sasuke to be so aloof and stylish about it too. She couldn't wait to know Sasuke even more, to find out more about him other than the fact he wanted to kill someone- _depressing-_and that he didn't like cowards that screwed up all the time, like Naruto. She was sure that if they got to know each other, she could get Sasuke to smile and brighten right up. The first step would be cooking.

"Oh, yeah? Well, can you beat this moron at a race?" Naruto snapped right back, tuning his nose up proudly as he boasted.

And, just like that, Sasuke was gone.

"Damn it!" Naruto cursed, a sudden explosion of speed as he took off after the other. Once again, Sakura was left behind, simply jogging and staring at the boys' energy. They couldn't possible be trying to maintain that speed for an endurance race. Just when had Sasuke ever let Naruto's insults get him so much? Sakura simply panted in time to her footsteps, too involved in her thoughts to concentrate on anything else for a moment.

"Crap, I'm going to be last!" Sakura realized. She couldn't do that, not in front of Sasuke! She had to do her best, not just because this was tedious training that she wanted to be done with as soon as possible, but because if Naruto beat her she wouldn't know where she stood with Sasuke any more. She had to try this time, at least not come in last by too much time, since she knew in her hear that she could never be as fast as Naruto and Sasuke. Even still…

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm going to _kill _you!" Sakura yelled out in frustration, sick of their teacher always coming up with these horrible missions and training sessions clearly designed for the boys, who were practically feral animals when it came to endurance and stamina. It was if he was trying to make her look bad in front of Sasuke! Well, not _this _time, Sakura thought to herself as she put more energy into running than thinking.

Sasuke's knees shook with every step he took, everything from his ankle to hip begging for him to stop, but he knew the second he did he'd never be able to get back up. It was only a little bit further; he had seen the bridge out of the corner of his eye before the path had swooped back into the trees. At least it was shady here, instead of the burning agony the run up bare mountainside had been. A noontime sun and not a single bush in sight had not been a particularly inspiring run, draining Sasuke of most of his energy. Thankfully, it had been downhill and flatland from there, or else Sasuke didn't think he would make it. Still, at this rate, he would beat Naruto. That was most important of all, the only thing he cared about right now. Even if it had taken two whole weeks to heal, his side was only aching a bit after the heavy exertion. He could barely breathe right now, his shirt soaked through with his own sweat, dripping down his arms and into his eyes, but at least he would win.

Sasuke had originally meant to slip out in the morning after the '_event_,' unnoticed, successfully avoiding any further conversation following that kiss by pretending to be tired and going back to sleep. He thought it would be fine and they could never speak of it again…except, Naruto had followed him when Sasuke had tried to leave, following behind and talking his head off like nothing had happened. If Sasuke had thought Naruto was a loudmouth before, he had been sorely mistaken. It was nothing compared to the babble he'd been stuck with, since Naruto refused to leave him alone for a single moment. Naruto suddenly thought that Sasuke wanted to hear every little detail about his personal life, whither he gave a response or not. The moron had even come up into his apartment, announcing his disappointment in Sasuke's plain, dark apartment rather loudly. Sasuke didn't even know that it had hurt his feelings until the shorter boy had given him a hug.

From then on, Sasuke decided to just give in since he couldn't shake Naruto off. It was strange to understand the blonde, since their new relationship consisted of a little more heated arguing than usual, followed up by a few kisses that had been interrupted each time by memories Itachi had left him with. Naruto didn't seemed put off by screaming or sudden acts of blind violence, understanding that something very bad had happened and that he _didn't _want to talk about it. Sasuke wasn't good with people, nor love, or _whatever _it was that Naruto wanted, since the idiot wasn't telling him and damned if Sasuke was going to ask. He was already feeling so out of place in the middle of this. All he knew is that a part of him really, really liked it when Naruto hugged him.

Sasuke finally turned the corner, coming to the painted red bridge with wobbling legs. He spotted a small, silver bush on the bank by the wooden bridge, barely managing to make the last few steps to hang over Kakashi's head. Immediately his sweat fell down to dot the cover of Love Love Paradise thrown over Kakashi's eyes. Sasuke had been planning to say something particularly cruel, but his vision was blurring and his head spinning. He swayed, barely managing to keep his feet as he realized it was a mistake to come to a stop so suddenly. Kakashi lifted up the book, cursing when his bare eye and facemask started to become wet with Sasuke's perspiration before cursing anew when Sasuke fell forward across Kakashi, not even conscious for when he landed.

_A memory of when he had been very young, finally able to walk unfalteringly but still too small to reach the top of the counter. He didn't know why it had happened, but he was sitting on one of Itachi's crossed legs as his brother sat on the floor, staring up at his much older and skilled brother. He watched Itachi practice in the mornings, struck with hopeless hero-worship at a brother who was so good at everything he did. He liked Itachi best, not caring to play with his cousins his own age, but to simply watch his brother. Itachi was nice to him, despite everyone else saying that he was bad. _

_"You're getting handsome, Sasuke. One day, the girls won't leave you alone," Itachi teased, pinching two chubby cheeks. Sasuke slapped his brother's hands away with small arms of his own, realizing now that it had only happened because Itachi had let him. He had forgotten how gentle Itachi had been, back when Sasuke had been very young and Itachi had just been promoted to captain. Before he had to start killing on a daily basis. When he remembered now, he had been the only family member Itachi had ever spoken to at length, or had ever been affectionate with. _

_ "Eh? But I just wanna play with you, big brother!" If only Sasuke had _known_ how bad that had sounded, but he'd been so young. Itachi smiled warmly and nodded, obviously complimented by Sasuke's innocent answer. He had admired Itachi with everything, idolizing his older brother, the ANBU squad leader. All he had wanted was his brother's undivided attention, even more so than Mother or Father. Sasuke hugged Itachi with arms that only reached around his brother's chest; never once suspecting that this man would be the one to murder their entire clan. _

_ "You're going to make someone very happy, Sasuke," Itachi complimented him before putting his hands underneath Sasuke's arms and lifting him back onto his feet. Sasuke had ran off then, distracted by something else as a child would be, not really understanding what his brother's words had meant at the time. _

"Sasuke!" It was a sharp command, a different voice from his dream. Sasuke opened his eyes to find Kakashi sitting next to him while he was lying on what felt like…grass? Sasuke looked up at the sky, and endless blue that was like Naruto's eyes- he coughed, his throat feeling like it was on fire after all that running, and sat up slowly next to his teacher. His skin was dry and sticky, evidence that he had been out long enough for his sweat to cool. Sasuke winced when he tried to draw his legs up, staring down at the limbs as they twitched and shuddered out of his control. He had overworked them, unable to even get his feet to respond as his legs tingled and burned.

"Was I unconscious long?" Sasuke asked Kakashi, deciding to cover it up with worthless talk. It was a small trick he had learned from Naruto after hanging out with the moron so much. It still looked like the afternoon, and there was no sign of either of his teammates. Sasuke couldn't help sighing in relief, half-afraid that Naruto might have actually managed to beat him and that he would have to deal with the blonde afterwards. Anything less than first would have been unacceptable for his return from recuperation of his injury.

"Not much. I was about to mark you down points for having such a crappy finish," Kakashi added, with a smile that Sasuke could practically see through the facemask. He frowned at his teacher, and then more at himself for being so weak as to faint on completion of the race. The best he could do was sit up straight right now, wondering how much longer it would be until Naruto and Sakura finally finished as well. He stole a glimpse over at Kakashi, the man's book for once closed and set on the ground between them. It was as good of chance as any, Sasuke supposed, and he couldn't live with things they were any more.

"Kakashi, you know, Naruto and I…" It was one thing to think it, but entirely another to actually say it aloud as Kakashi's single, unreadable eye fixed on him. There was no way to tell if the man had any expression on or not, if he was going to think any less of Sasuke after he told his teacher what was going on. But, he needed somebody to help him understand this, and Kakashi was someone who just might know a little bit more about him than even Naruto did.

"I figured you two were starting to get together. You don't have to say anything you don't want to, Sasuke," Kakashi answered back, being an adult like he should be, instead of that lazy liar he showed to them most of the time. Still, someone didn't get a name like Copy Ninja just sitting around reading erotic novels. Kakashi was strong, and had defeated many expert adversaries before while swearing to protect his students. Maybe that extended out to giving his students some advice as well.

"Kakashi, they told me… at the hospital, when I woke up. That you had been the one that found me the night I-It… _my brother _left," Sasuke stammered it out, not about to give up now even though he regretted speaking the moment he started his sentence. He couldn't look at his teacher, focused on his clenched hands in his lap instead of his legs still jerking around with strain. He waited in apprehensive silence after having held this secret in for so long, since the very first time he had seen Kakashi as the man introduced himself as their new teacher. He didn't remember too much about what had happened the night Itachi left, desperately doing his best to forget it for the most part, but the nurses had been more than ready to gossip and Sasuke had months to recover in the hospital.

"Yes," as a very cool answer, not dismissive, but not entirely helpful either. Sasuke couldn't look over at Kakashi, and knew that it wouldn't be that helpful anyway. Kakashi was unreadable, just as incomprehensible as Naruto was. The only noise was the water flowing in front of them and a bird chirping, the village always peaceful and quiet. Sasuke swallowed, knowing that he wouldn't get any answers this way and that it wouldn't be long before Naruto showed up and he'd be back to square one.

"Then, you already know what he did to me," Sasuke chanced a peek over at Kakashi, finding himself stuck when his teacher was already looking right back at him, had probably been staring the whole time. He felt his ears heat up from the blush spreading over his cheeks, but didn't dare look away. He wanted to see if Kakashi knew he wasn't talking about Itachi had beaten him close to death, or murdered everyone right in front him, but that his brother had raped him. Funny how he could accept such a thing perfectly in his mind when his body still reacted in a panic. Naruto didn't deserve someone freaking out on him every time he offered mild to medium companionship. Naruto hadn't even pushed the issue with Sasuke yet, seeming to sense that it cause him much more grief than he could know.

"Yes," Kakashi echoed his last answer, and Sasuke dropped his gaze in a mix disappoint that Kakashi wasn't more forthcoming, and the old humiliation as he had to visit what Itachi had done to him, and just how bad he must have looked when Kakashi found him. Still, it was all the more reason to get this out in the open. If he was afraid of Naruto because the blonde did things that vaguely reminded him of his brother, what would he do when he actually met up with Itachi again? He couldn't afford to run away and hide like he had done several times with Naruto already. Sasuke couldn't help it, but he had to stop it. He wouldn't be able to bare Naruto finding him huddled in the closet or a cabinet big enough to fit him; terrified out of his mind that Itachi was coming to get him. Sasuke had always had this problem, but it was different now that Naruto was hanging around and another person was there to see him freak out. As much as Sasuke didn't want to admit it, he needed help, and Kakashi was the only other person he trusted enough to talk to without them sharing his secrets afterward. Naruto had already almost given them away to Sakura many times, despite Sasuke insisting that he didn't want anyone to know.

"Naruto and I…" Sasuke stopped, having to rethink his words carefully. Kakashi waited silently; obviously ready to give Sasuke however much time he needed to compose himself. He grinded his teeth for a moment, wishing he hadn't begun this conversation but knowing it was already too late to stop. He stared at the sun glinting off the surface of the moving water in front of them, letting it blind him for a moment.

"He wants to do things- I can't really…do," Sasuke stammered even though he had been concentrating on keeping his voice steady. He frowned, hoping that Kakashi would be able to understand what he meant. Sasuke didn't think he could explain it any further, not without completely humiliating himself. Like this wasn't bad enough already! He waited, hoping that Kakashi would give him something other than a monosyllable answer this time, like advice. Sasuke was already totally lost, and he couldn't stand to have Naruto leading all the time…even if he was too scared to do anything on his own.

A hand landed on his shoulder, and Sasuke found himself dragged against Kakashi's side. He couldn't have fought it, regardless of if his legs had been working or not, because he was frozen at the mere contact. Naruto was shorter than he was, and Sasuke never once doubted for a moment that he would be able to beat the blonde in hand-to-hand, jitsu, or whatever. Kakashi was much taller, bigger, and had yet to be pushed far enough to show them his real strength. Sasuke had managed to dig up some horrible rumors about the Copy Ninja, but nothing as to why Kakashi had a Sharigan as well. He was a mystery, and Sasuke was never more aware of that then now when the man had a thick, large arm draped over his shoulders.

Kakashi reached around his side and Sasuke couldn't help tensing in fear, unable to think of any moves or escapes or even fighting back. The man managed to lift him up and drop Sasuke down in his lap, his back pressed against Kakashi's chest and an uncomfortable feeling against his ass. He turned around to protest only to see Kakashi lift up his forehead protector to reveal his single Sharigan. The facemask stayed in place, but Sasuke already felt like he was being shown something too private when Kakashi wasn't using his eye for combat. The scar was horrible, but that was nothing compared to the red Sharigan, black swirls other than pupils starting to move- _no,_ that was a bit of memory overlapping. Sasuke was suddenly sick, imagery twisting and doubling as he couldn't tell which was real, Itachi's cold pair and Kakashi's concerned single.

"Does this eye scare you?" Kakashi asked, as if it wasn't already painfully obvious. Sasuke couldn't move, fearing the second he did that Kakashi would turn into his brother and try to kill him. It was so silly, but Sasuke didn't doubt that it was a possibility. He didn't know what could happen with those Sharingan, every instinct and memory screaming as he recalled the one time Itachi had used it on him. Just for a few seconds, and it had been burned into every vein and cell of his body.

"No," Sasuke lied, because to tell the truth right now would be foolish. He was frightened at the lack of answers, at his helplessness as he shuddered in Kakashi's lap. He didn't know why Kakashi had one eye that had been known as his clan's legacy, the scar leading Sasuke to believe that Kakashi hadn't been born with it. He hated to think on the possibilities, the only reason he felt slightly safe right now was because Kakashi's Sharigan was merely surgical addition without any of the Bloodline Techniques. Not like Itachi's.

"It should. Your brother has two of them," Kakashi warned him softly, as if Sasuke didn't already know what his brother was capable of. He knew it was foolish to think he would be able to avenge his clan when he could barely handle being so close to Kakashi right now. It was just the same as with Naruto, because Sasuke had cut himself off from the world after his clan's death, effectively leaving Itachi as his last human contact in years. And, it had never been the sort of memory that would fade fast in the first place. Sasuke started tensing all over again, just thinking of it, and Kakashi sighed before his chin landed on top of Sasuke's head. White panic- than Sasuke reminded himself it was his teacher who was resting on his back, like a father would do with a son.

Sasuke stopped trembling after a while though it was more due to exhaustion than anything else, and once he had relaxed, it wasn't so bad. It was late afternoon, and Sasuke had a smug feeling that he had set a new record now that his head was finally clear. Naruto would be a long time in coming, and Sakura was bound to be even later than the idiot was. He wanted to stay like this for a while, remembering when Mother used to hold him in her lap with long black hair glistening, Father's chin as he looked down at the paper while reading it aloud to Sasuke, and Itachi smiling gently before the madness had taken over. It had been so long from the time when he had been cheerful and affectionate, like any child, before Sasuke had sealed himself off from ever being close to another person since. He missed it, hadn't even realized by how much until Naruto had showed him, and with Kakashi there wasn't the incessant _talking _that came along with the blonde. Sasuke appreciated this silence much more, feeling like he didn't have to explain every little detail, like he did with Naruto. Stupid idiot. Sasuke couldn't fight a small smile.

"So, what exactly are you and Naruto doing together?" Kakashi's voice hummed against the back of Sasuke's head, making him tense up at the unexpected inquiry. Sasuke swallowed, starting to sweat again despite having already run himself into the ground earlier. He should have expected Kakashi to ask that sort of question now that Sasuke had revealed Naruto and he had now moved beyond their usual rivalry. He could understand, since both Naruto and he were young, but Sasuke had already had so much happen to him…and Naruto was never one for restraint. Sasuke didn't doubt that even if he weren't so tentative and worried, Naruto would have definitely taken their relationship to the next level on his own. Sasuke was determined to shake the grip Itachi had on him before then, not about to lose to his brother or Naruto.

"This, and other things." It was still another thing to admit to being intimate and personally with biggest troublemaker and idiot in the entire village. Kakashi only made a small, questioning noise as the older man seemed to contemplate this new information. Sasuke felt himself starting to blush, yet again, cursing his sudden vulnerability to them. It seemed like his face had been on fire since the first time he and Naruto had kissed for real, and now even Kakashi could make him feel stupid and naïve. The man could probably guess what he and Naruto had been up to and likely thought it was hilarious that the blonde idiot was the only person Sasuke could end up getting along with. He could hardly believe it himself.

"Like what?" Kakashi asked for further divulgences of details when Sasuke could barely keep a straight face. He stared straight forward again; glad he was in front of Kakashi where the older man wouldn't be able to see the expressions he was making. Sasuke certainly couldn't hold the unemotional mask in place like usual when they were talking about this, when Kakashi was a warm, solid mass against his back.

"Does he do this?" Kakashi asked, emphasizing what he meant by lifting up arms that had simply been at Sasuke's side to embrace him, a hug from behind. They were closer then, exactly what Sasuke had been trying to avoid. He had to close his eyes, to keep the memories at bay and also to avoid seeing Kakashi's Sharingan. He wouldn't be able to hold it together if he saw that deadly red eye while a bigger person was pressing up along his backside. Sasuke didn't trust his voice, just nodding and telling himself to calm the-hell-_down_! He had set this up on his own, of his own will, because he couldn't live another day with Itachi's words still echoing inside his brain whenever Naruto tried to pounce on him. Sasuke didn't take well to being jumped on for a surprise hug, and the bruise Sakura had given the boy this morning was nothing compared to the few Sasuke had created. That still didn't mean that he didn't want to do his best to change this. Sasuke would always rise to the challenge, and getting used to being touched again was yet another one. He had known there would be a problem from the first day Sakura had tried to hold his hand and he had shoved her away. He'd been avoiding the issue ever since, just leaving it at being moody and not liking other people touching him, even if Naruto and Sakura thought he was an arrogant bastard for that. Better that than reverted back to a whiny little twelve year old stuck crying in the closet when he was about to be taking the Jounin exam.

"Yeah," Sasuke admitted, too tired to really care anymore, dizzy and preferring to think about his favorite idiot. Naruto was overly affectionate, like a dog that didn't even care as it sniffed around parts it shouldn't in a friendly greeting, and he had already made up for years of isolation in a matter of days. Sasuke would think he would have been used it now, since Naruto did like to hang off him no matter how much he threatened or tried to avoid it. He was still terrified to go any further than this sort of snuggling, because Itachi had shown him just how much it _hurt_. The muscles in his behind clenched up despite everything below the waist being dead tired.

"What about this?" Kakashi asked, a big hand directing Sasuke's chin up and backward. Sasuke had half expected a kiss to follow, but what surprised him the most was how natural Kakashi made it seem. He would have never suspected that his teacher's lips would be soft, not once, but gentle pressure on his mouth was indeed Kakashi when Sasuke looked up to check. He clenched his eyes closed immediately, unable to take in the sight of the Sharingan a moment longer, not when they were doing this. It was so much different from how Naruto kissed him, no jostling or unintended roughness. Kakashi was good, probably a hundred, a thousand times more experienced than he and Naruto were. He almost slipped a tongue inside Sasuke's mouth before he even realized it was there, one hand smacking down on Kakashi's knee and tightening as he held himself there. He couldn't afford to start feeling scared now, even though it felt like his throat had gone dry. It was like Kakashi's tongue was the only wet thing in his mouth, and Sasuke couldn't help but admit that somehow it felt good.

He missed it entirely when Kakashi slipped his hand underneath Sasuke's shirt, but when rough, calloused thumb brushed over his chest, Sasuke was glad they were kissing so he could hide his gasp. He had never thought of his nipples as being sensitive before, but it was so strange to have someone else touching him like this. Kakashi was smooth and slow, unlike Naruto, and was very good at keeping Sasuke from thinking about anything else. Just when he thought had had gotten used to being held and kissed, Kakashi added something new that wasn't entirely disagreeable. In fact, Sasuke felt an unfamiliar, shameful rush of heat below his bellybutton and toward his groin. He was _definitely _glad that he was facing away from Kakashi now, the fabric of his boxers underneath his pants starting to strain against sensitive skin. He just hoped Kakashi had his eyes closed too and didn't see how he was reacting. Kakashi obviously didn't feel a thing from the stationary and relaxed body behind him, no sign of an erection coming to life like it was on Sasuke. He was the only one who was starting to completely lose it. _Damn it_.

Sasuke wanted to start squirming when Kakashi started to pinch one nipple lightly, twisting and rolling it around in an extraordinary kind of way. Instead, he dug his thumb and fingers into the flesh around Kakashi's kneecap, the only solid thing he had a grip on right now. For the first time in his life, he was getting aroused, and couldn't even think beyond the moment. He should be telling Kakashi to stop right now, that they were in public and Naruto or Sakura or _anyone _else could come along at any instant and let their hand glide down his side and underneath the waistband of his pants.

"Kakashi- ah." It was a mistake to open his mouth, because then Sasuke couldn't hold back an incredulous gasp. Just when had this ever involved not taking off your clothes, bare skin, and rough domination? Sasuke didn't even have the rational thought to protest what Kakashi's fingers were brushing against, shaking all the way down to the core as tried to hold himself in one piece. Kakashi used his other hand to unzip Sasuke's pants, freeing a pink, engorged shaft. He clenched his eyes, mouth, hands, and feet all closed in merely attempt to keep from screaming aloud. He was _not _this responsive, this easy to seduce; falling apart at the seams from a pleasure he had no idea existed.

The only reason Sasuke managed to keep himself from going blind with that quivering, consuming sensation threatening to explode was because he heard Kakashi's soft, even breath behind him. It wasn't like Itachi's breathless panting or Naruto's annoying whine, just strangely soothing and reminded him just why he respected Kakashi, who always managed to stay so frustrating cool despite the situations they were thrown into. Sasuke couldn't handle it, lost as Kakashi put a large hand around his length, slowly stroking him with his pinky lightly teasing the thin skin on his balls.

Sasuke wasn't sure if he screamed when he came, losing consciousness for just a moment. He was staring at semen-splattered grass though, Kakashi cleaning him up with a handkerchief. Sasuke wished he had the strength to frown or yell at Kakashi for mistreating him like this, but a wonderful apathy had taken over. It wasn't the usual numbness, but a relative contentment and peace. He allowed Kakashi to zip his pants up and pull clothes back into place without complaint, mainly because he didn't think he could manage it on his own. Sasuke wasn't quite dizzy, but he certainly didn't have all of his usual faculties right now, weary and lightheaded.

"Now, was that so scary?" Kakashi was making fun of him right now, probably because he knew that Sasuke couldn't very well fight back at the moment. He wanted to kill Kakashi for making him feel so calm and at ease, tired after that race and Kakashi's ministrations. The silver-haired man pulled his mask and forehead protector back into place, clearly giving Sasuke time to recover on his own. In the end, Kakashi looped an arm under his and hauled Sasuke up to his feet. Surprisingly enough, they seemed to work right now, even though it was unsteady and Sasuke didn't doubt he would have fallen if Kakashi weren't holding him up. At least Kakashi was allowing him the dignity of stumbling along instead of picking Sasuke up and carrying him…wherever. Sasuke suddenly thought to wonder why they were moving when Kakashi had already given him a hand job by the riverbank. Well, it wasn't as if they had been in any real danger of discovery in a lazy town like Konoha.

"Heeeeey!" Called out a familiar, energetic voice. Kakashi and Sasuke both looked to the side to see Naruto charging up the dirt path to the bridge. Sasuke's mouth dropped, partly in how close the blonde had been to coming across them in a very compromising position, and that the idiot didn't even look tired. The shorter boy came to a screeching halt in front of them, sweating a bit but smiling a lot. Sasuke hated the twinge of jealousy that ripped through him when Naruto flashed a victory sign, obviously ready to celebrate his completion of the race. Sasuke hadn't even been able to stay on his feet.

"Oh, Naruto, good timing," Kakashi greeted him, Sasuke frowning as he wondered if it was really 'good timing' at all. "Why don't you take Sasuke home?" Kakashi suggested, even though both of them looked up sharply at the idea. Kakashi had better not make a big deal of this, or Sasuke didn't know what he would do. He suddenly couldn't wait to get away from Kakashi's side as Naruto scratched his hair, no doubt confused that they weren't making a bigger fuss over him finishing the race.

"Huh? Okay…" Naruto shuffled over and Sasuke was silently transferred from an arm around Kakashi's waist to Naruto's shoulders. The blonde held onto his wrist and side to get a better hold on Sasuke while Kakashi just watched. Sasuke glared at the man, wishing that he could read Kakashi better instead of feeling like he was being observed, judged, and found lacking. Naruto was just grumbling beside him, hauling Sasuke up and eyeing him as well.

"…What's wrong with _you_?" Naruto asked, obviously not seeing the reason why Sasuke needed help just to walk. Kakashi just smiled and started humming as he pulled out his book and began reading. Sasuke wasn't fooled, sure that the teacher was ready to listen to every word between them. Maybe he shouldn't have said anything to Kakashi after all…except, he had never felt like this before, closest he had to having no worries at all in his whole life.

"Nothing," Sasuke returned, hoping it could all be blamed on that stupid race and Naruto would leave things at that, but he knew that the idiot was curious as a cat. He just wanted the moron to start walking faster and get them away from Kakashi before the blonde said anything embarrassing. Sasuke would need some time to sort everything out in his head, still reeling from what had just happened. He wanted to go home, but for once, he didn't want to be alone either. Sasuke was glad that Kakashi had seen fit to order Naruto to take him home, leaning on the shorter blonde a bit more than necessary.

"Wait, don't tell me it's because you afraid I'd win," Naruto deduced aloud, forcing a rush of heat to Sasuke's cheeks. He glanced over and sure enough, the blonde was already grinning like a shark, chuckling as he waiting for the answer. Sasuke didn't know what kind of idiocy had gotten into Naruto's head, but he didn't like it one bit.

"You _wish_, moron!" Sasuke yelled right back, hanging even more of his weight off of Naruto. The boy staggered, almost losing his footing and making them both stumble before he recovered. It was followed by curses and several comments about Sasuke's physique that just weren't true at all. Of course, he started telling Naruto so in a very loud voice, forgetting that he should try to walk off with some dignity in front of his teacher. He wasn't afraid anymore, and the euphoria following was all-consuming.

Kakashi shook his head as the two walked off, still yelling at each other. Naruto's stamina was unbelievable, the boy still ready to carry a friend home even after running around the village. What was even more amazing was Sasuke's time, but Kakashi didn't doubt it was because the young Uchiha didn't want to lose to Naruto. Those two could be rather good together, the dynamic teamwork they had shown before proof, but Kakashi had suspected from that very night when he came across a _child _beaten to death and sadistically raped that the survivor of the Uchiha clan wouldn't have an easy love life. He was glad that Sasuke had come to him; sure that Naruto would have probably pressed too hard and too soon, not having any sort of detachment or patience. And, those two attributes were needed in abundance when dealing with Sasuke. Kakashi wasn't exactly-…

"Kakashi-sensei!" yelled the last voice he had expected to hear. Kakashi turned around, his thumb poised to open to his marked page in Love Love Paradise, to see Sakura running up. Well, running wasn't exactly the right word for it, but she was certainly going above a jog. Her hair was a mess, soaked through and stringy, and Sakura's face was bright red as she finally crossed the bridge and came to stand in front of him. Kakashi had never thought that Sakura would be able to finish this course before nightfall, but he supposed it was what he deserved for underestimating his student. Perhaps Sakura had been training a bit extra as well.

"Kakashi-sensei, where's…Sasuke and…Naruto?" Sakura panted out, hands braced on both knees as she dropped her head below her shoulders and heaved for air. Kakashi smiled sympathetically at her behind his mask, pretty sure that Sakura didn't have a clue yet. He had been pretty sure from the start that Sasuke had never been interested in girls just from the way the boy reacted to the constant praise and compliments the fairer sex gave him; but even Kakashi still thought it was strange that Sasuke would actually come around to _liking _Naruto so soon.

"They already left together," Kakashi informed her, waving his book dismissively. Sakura was a smart girl, but too emotional. He would hate to see her reaction if she found out the two other boys in their group were becoming very, very friendly. All the girls did admire Sasuke and would be crushed to hear where the Uchiha's sexual preferences lay, with Sakura no different. Her head shot up at that, her hard breathing stopping immediately as she stared at him. Kakashi gazed back at her, unable to tell if she was upset at the news or the fact she had finished last- like that hadn't been expected.

"Damn it!" Sakura screamed out at Kakashi, down the road, the whole village, as birds took flight in the forest.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you to cdk, duenna, GinTsuki, hentaiyaou, Iceheart19, iie nome, Lexy, Navi, pink bunny1, Sasuke 89, sophy. What a fast, fabulous response in the reviews! Warm fuzzy feeling, all around, and it inspired me to write before ff.net catches wind of this last Bastille of smut! I think this is a record for how fast I wrote something, this is a perfect example of reviews really making a difference. In turn though, forgive the grievous grammatical/spelling errors (unless you want to beta, then email me NOW).

Ha ha ha…sweat as I catch yet more errors.

Did I trick any of you on what the pairing was going to be? …considering you didn't cheat and read the summary! ;; What a spin (sex with minors is what I call a plot device!...gawd; I'm only furthering the argument that I'm a complete pervert, huh? I don't condone it in real life!) Well, NarutoSasuke is still the main theme to hold this boat together, but everyone else deserves a good time too. Especially my love, Kakashi. I blame this all on the new batch of Naruto episodes coming out that have effectively placed Sasuke and Kakashi on the side burner…though I wouldn't have minded staring at Naruto's ass in Lee's old uniform. (On a side note, Gai and Lee are so gay together; I just might have to cook something up for them too).

Sorry about the shortness, but I ended up either rushed or manic creative, still can't decide which. (Also, apologize for the seizure-inducing laughter that might have taken over anyone at me calling this 'short')

Go see Fahrenheit 9/11! Meow!

(Super Troopers if you haven't already, too)

_PS- I expect this to be the last post before this story is ripped down, so see you all on some webpage that allows free speech, from G to NC-17._

Love you, darlings! (And for the rest, put the Hateorade down and chill… ...why would you be reading this far anyway?)


	4. I see the fucking look in your eyes

BEFORE you get your panties in a twist, I took this chapter title from the movie 'Old School' Wedding Song, a cover of _Total Eclipse of the Heart_, whose best rendition is done by Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler. So eat me and get offended by the content.

Disclaimer: Naruto and other characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi, don't download licensed anime, you need your original birth certificate to get a passport, and always put your name at the top of the paper before turning it in! Now that the legal stuff is out of the way, onto the smut.

The moon was almost full tonight, just a small sliver of darkness cutting it off from being a complete circle. Red eyes glared up at that imperfection, taking note of how the moon looked so weak and shabby for it. He was reminded of a similar weakness, a taint on his clan's name that was stealing away from their true glory- of one that continually disappointed his expectations. He had invested so much effort into it, and yet the seed refused to blossom. A man could almost get impatient; frustrated to the point of murder; except he preferred his prey to ripen fully before he claimed it.

Itachi shook his head, wondering yet again why his little brother continued to play about in peaceful Konoha instead of setting out to kill him. Hadn't he planted enough hatred in Sasuke's heart to make that quiet, spoiled brat turn into a fearsome killer? Only the legend of Uchiha Itachi remained, nothing about the only survivor of that massacre. Itachi didn't want to believe that he could have possibly been wrong when he had decided to spare his little brother in hopes that he might become a worthy opponent one day. Instead, Sasuke remained nameless and unclaimed, leaving behind nothing but the mercy Itachi had bestowed on him. It was getting pathetic, really.

He felt a presence behind him and knew that it was Kisame. He didn't need to see it with his own eyes to confirm such. He preferred to keep looking up at the moon, to stupid its silent grandeur and meditate upon the state of the world. Itachi detested having to deal with the trifle matters of being in Akatsuki; much preferring that they would finally reach their ultimate goal. He was constantly besieged with minor tasks that, despite being easy, were time-consuming. Itachi rarely got a chance to appreciate anything any more, too busy trying to kill off the imperfections they found in the world. Itachi was sick of the weak and the helpless holding down the few people who were truly strong.

"Itachi," Kisame began, his familiar and rough voice chewing up and spitting out words. He frowned; sighing with impatience over how long it had took the man in the first place.

"Our orders?" Itachi asked quickly, not wishing to hear the brute's ugly tones more than was absolutely necessary. He appreciated things of beauty; which was almost why it was a cruel irony to be teamed up with one as ugly and just plain _stupid _as Kisame. Still, it made them balanced, as much as Itachi hated to admit it. The partners that were formed in Akatsuki were supposed to be full and complete units. Itachi simply assumed that Kisame was there to take care of the asinine and repulsive. He had seen the monster eat raw meat before, still bleeding from the kill. Itachi had tried to introduce him to finer cuisine, or at least that which required chopsticks... but found it to be nothing but a complete failure. He had expected so much from a simpleton like Kisame, but not from his own brother. It was hard to believe that he was related to the fool sometimes.

"We're to capture the Nine-Tails Demon Fox immediately," Kisame reported, knowing that Itachi preferred as few words as possible. He closed his eyes at that, memory coming back to him as he placed the vessel of that demon that had attacked Konoha so long ago. Itachi had only seen the boy a few times, a streak of blonde hair and loud yelling; usually being chased by Jounin he had managed to anger. The boy had been a horrendous nuisance, once even daring to put graffiti on a wall in the Uchiha district. Some lower lever Genin had seen to it that the kid had been properly punished. He had heard Sasuke talk about the boy once, apparently in the same class as the fearsome Nine-Tails Demon Fox. Apparently the kid had caused a ruckus in the class, distracting everyone into laughing, which made the teacher give a pop quiz. Itachi clearly remembered Sasuke's small, pouting face as he announced how much he hated the demon child, his soft and slightly-chubby features wrinkling in anger as Itachi had walked his brother home after class. Sasuke had been too precious, too pretty to have wandering around alone when it started to get dark; until one day his little brother had insisted that he was all grown up and didn't need to be picked up after school like a baby. Sasuke didn't understand how much he meant, how unique he was... and that had only led to Sasuke allowing himself to be sullied by outside influences. Itachi had reluctantly let his little brother go to freely mature; and regretted it now. Now there were _others_, outside influences that were beginning to deter Sasuke from the destiny Itachi had so painstakingly laid out for him.

"Uzumaki...Naruto?" Itachi tasted the name aloud for the first time, his eyes narrowing down as he considered the possibilities. He heard Itachi agree behind him, probably about ready to say more. Itachi personally didn't want to hear his horrid voice again.

"Perfect. I have some business to take care of before then. Wait here," Itachi ordered, jumping forward into the cold night wind. He didn't even look back to see if Kisame was going to do as told, knowing that the brute would out of pure respect for his abilities. Now that he was alone, Itachi grinned in anticipation, ready to strip away the things that were trying to sully his little brother, his most prized possession.

---

Kabuto sighed as he finished the elixir; a small current of chakra pushed through the glass tube in his hands, turning the color from blue to a bright green. He shook out the cloudiness until the medication settled into one smooth batch. It was a forbidden medicine, plainly because it used the fresh blood from many different creatures. But it was extremely potent, and Orochimaru provided him with more than enough specimens to take blood from, anything like rare lizards and snaked to live human beings. He could study any Jutsu, create any potion here that he pleased, all in the name of Orochimaru. Kabuto relished the freedom and opportunities he was given, as long as he called Orochimaru his lord. Kabuto thought the idea would have been more offense, but it was surprisingly easy to act like the good little subordinate- simply waiting for the right moment to finally strike. Kabuto wasn't one to answer to anyone else, be it a Legendary Sannin or the Devil himself... Orochimaru managed to fit both criteria.

Though nobody would know it from looking at the man slumped in the large throne in the back of this cavern-like room. Candles burned in every possible corner, but it still wasn't enough light for Kabuto to properly see by. He still knew better than to complain to Orochimaru, learning early in his career as the man's servant that unnecessary questions led to severe punishment. Orochimaru didn't have very much patience for failure, exactly like Kabuto. Their relationship was always precarious, Orochimaru feeling like he needed to prove his dominance more often than necessary, Kabuto hating him more and more each time. It was no different after they had gone and crashed the Genin exam, Kabuto barely able to hold himself back. He still couldn't understand why his master had suddenly decided to take such an interest in that Uchiha boy. There had been a rumor of a survivor to the last noble clan of the Konoha village, but Kabuto hadn't really expected it to be that dark and depressed boy that clung to Uzumaki Naruto's back like a shadow. Though it was true that Sasuke Uchiha might be a genius ninja, he paled in comparison to the monster Naruto held within him. It was a pity that the boy hadn't been affected by the Demon Fox within him- an idiot to the end. He had shown ridiculous stamina, but beyond that was so normal that Kabuto almost couldn't stand it. He was going to have to kill that blonde later to make sure that trash like him didn't taint the title of Shinobi.

First would be that Uchiha boy. Orochimaru had wasted too much energy on the child, enough that Kabuto had been ordered to make a revival elixir. He didn't particular mind that so much as the fact that his Master had found a new obsession. Though that Uchiha might have put up a good fight, it was nothing compared to the legends that were whispered in fearful tones to this day of his older brother. They both held the Sharingan, a bloodline trait that was to be truly coveted; but Uchiha Itachi had long since gained complete control of his eyes. Uchiha Sasuke was another matter completely, surprisingly full of weak points and openings that even the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox kid knew better.

"Orochimaru, I still don't understand why you got serious with that Uchiha child," Kabuto announced as he stepped up to the pale figure in the wickedly twisted, dark chair. Stark black hair shimmered as that head lifted up, deadened eyes not reflecting any of the light in the room. He passed the large vial to his Master, who accepted it with a corpse-like hand and swallowed it all without any hesitation. Kabuto couldn't help but marvel at the trust, thinking of how easy it would have been to slip poison inside that medicine. Would Orochimaru even notice such? Was his body trained to such poisons already, with that horribly well-trained body? Orochimaru's true form might be that of a child, but the body he had chosen was a masterpiece. Kabuto had been allowed to examine it the few times Orochimaru had been injured enough to require treatment, but Orochimaru rarely had to do anything other than apply healing herbs and bandage it up well enough to last overnight; than his Lord's healing powers would take over once again.

"I want him. I suppose you _wouldn't _understand that, Kabuto," Orochimaru sneered after he finished off the potion. He threw the vial to the side, glass shattering against the wall as those yellow, reptilian eyes silently mocked him. Kabuto wasn't even sure what his Lord might be referring to, but he didn't like it either way. He heated the way that he was looked down upon, that he was constantly mocked; and hated himself for putting up with it each day. His pride had once been so strong that he would have never allowed such... but now, he was almost afraid to meet Orochimaru's eyes. Almost. Kabuto still had his pride.

"Of course I don't! Why don't you go after Itachi Uchiha instead of that weakling?" Kabuto demanded, unable to understand his Master's motives. Even though a servant like him was supposed to keep his head down and stay silent, Kabuto wasn't about to fall into that sort of life so easily. They didn't need to be going around terrorizing children where there was much more appropriate prey wandering around. Orochimaru's eyes fastened on him in angry, his mouth opening to likely tell Kabuto what his punishment would be for such arrogance... when they were both interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

"Because he's afraid of me," announced an unfamiliar and deep voice from behind Kabuto. He turned around slowly; unable to sense a presence even with his heightened senses... but his eyes showed him one man standing in the darkness of the doorway to their hideout. The stranger wore a large cloak; a few small clouds embroider into it. Kabuto recognized it immediately as the uniform of that mysterious Akatsuki group, even more vague and unknown than Orochimaru and his Hidden Sound Village. His eyes were red, Sharingan blazing in the darkness. Kabuto swung around, his hand going for his kunai as he went to protect his Master, no matter what he had been thinking of him earlier. Orochimaru was still necessary at this point, as long as Kabuto was too weak to defeat him with certainty. He could easily kill Uchiha Sasuke right now is he chose to, but he wasn't so sure about the older brother that was standing before him right now. Kabuto could feel the bloodlust in the air, even more palpable than Orochimaru, a seemingly calm frame just trembling with the desire to kill. Even his voice sounded strange restrained, as if it was hard just to make civil conversation.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru hissed behind him. He needed no more word from his Lord to grab all the kunai he had hidden behind his back, fingers stabbing into the circular holes as he prepared to toss them. He met the Uchiha's eyes just once, devil's red boring into his own, those three black swirls within the iris beyond the pinpoint black of his pupil- they were beginning to move. Kabuto was brought up short, his breath stolen, lungs compressed..._pain_. It slammed down on him, stealing all reason and intelligence as his vision simply went wavy. Reality blurred as Kabuto realized he must have gotten caught in the Sharingan technique, feeling like a fool for underestimating it as he fell to his knees. It must have only lasted a second or two at most, but he had been under the direct focus of Uchiha Itachi's attention for what felt like years. He was left shaking, shattered, too dumbstruck to do anything more than flinch as black leather boots walked steadily across the floor. He was passed and Kabuto could only be thankful, disbelieving how much more frightening the Uchiha could be compared to his Master, to his weak little brother that had survived that clan's massacre. Uchiha Itachi had been responsible for it in the first place, as the rumors went. Kabuto wasn't about to ask the man himself, just thankful that he was being ignored in favor of Orochimaru right now.

"Isn't that right, Orochimaru?" Itachi asked in a horribly deep, superior tone, just the kind that was likely to piss Orochimaru off. Kabuto winced, waiting for Orochimaru to dish out his brand of discipline for anyone who dared to address him so. He was almost curious to see how Orochimaru would be able to defeat something as powerful as that man's gaze. Kabuto hadn't even stood a chance; in fact, from the shaking in his knees, was unable to stand up even now. The body reacted to pain no matter how well it was trained, and somehow Itachi had managed to light every nerve on fire within a few seconds. It hurt to simply be in his skin right now, his flesh grown much too small to contain his insides. He hoped that his Lord would fight the Uchiha and bring about some physical revenge on that man, even though Orochimaru would never purposeful do so for a simple servant like himself. Kabuto smiled along with his Master as Orochimaru tossed long hair back over his shoulder in a dismissive greeting.

"How did you-...." Orochimaru began angrily before a hand slammed out, a large ring and nail polish glinting in the candlelight as Itachi began to choke the man. Kabuto might have cried out his Lord's name, but his throat was so swollen and dry that it was hard to make actual words come out. Orochimaru's yellow serpent eyes began to bulge out, his mouth open wide, as he suddenly had to struggle for air. Itachi just watched impassively, the mantle of his cloak hiding his face from Kabuto at this angle. Kabuto trembled with the desire to move, though he wasn't sure if it would be to protect his Master or run away. Every joint spasmed, residual chakra from whatever move Itachi had used on him still coursing through his veins. It would be a while before Kabuto would be able to move properly, judging from how slowly the effects of the Sharingan were clearing up.

"You think I wouldn't know if you touched him?" Itachi's voice was not particularly loud, but it was so deep and commanding that one was forced to listen, much like Orochimaru's own dry, snake-like voice. Kabuto and Orochimaru both stared in confusion at the monster that had wandered into their secret headquarters so easily. They were likely the only two who knew about this place and were still alive... well, except for Uchiha Itachi now. He wasn't being a very good guest either, seemingly intent on killing Orochimaru. Kabuto had never thought that he would meet someone strong enough to kill his Lord for him. He might just get to stay on the floor and watch, and if he was luck enough at the end, Itachi wouldn't kill him as well.

"What?" Orochimaru managed in a wheezing voice around Itachi's choking hold. Kabuto watched as his Master worked one hand up, fingers lightly clawing at the arm Itachi was strangling him with. He had certainly been weakened by wasting so much time and effort during that ridiculous exam, on mere children! Orochimaru had told him stories of Uchiha Itachi's exceptional powers, but he hadn't truly believed it until now. He had never seen such a man before that could subdue Orochimaru without even using a single technique, but pure strength. To think that boy he had the most wretched pleasure of meeting along with the rest of those Konoha brats was actually related to this devil. Of course Orochimaru would go and have to take an interest in such a dangerous object, all because Sasuke had that Sharingan. The ability to see through all techniques would certainly be desired by his Master who was trying to learn every Jutsu; but if that boy grew up into anything that resembled the man before him now... The risk simply wasn't worth it. He should kill that child quickly, before Orochimaru became too obsessed, as his Master tended to do, and before the brat would actually be able to defend himself.

"Uchiha Sasuke is _mine_. Don't you dare touch him," Itachi hissed out in the same deadly cold manner that made snow seem warm. It could have been brotherly protection, if Itachi was clearly insane with power. He didn't like seeing his toys played with, this massively powerful being actually getting jealous like any child. Those two brothers were the only ones in the world who had a pure bloodline Sharingan, but Kabuto very much doubted that was why Itachi had come today. If it was possible, Orochimaru's eyes widened and he went even paler, though if it was because of what Itachi had said or what his face looked like right now, Kabuto couldn't tell. Orochimaru could only gasp out a response, words beyond him as Itachi kept on choking him.

"Just what were you thinking of doing to him?" Itachi demanded, bullying Orochimaru relentlessly. "Did you believe I'd allow this?" He shook one of the former Legendary Sannin like a cat with a mouse, dropping Orochimaru to sag in his throne pathetically. Kabuto to see the bruising beginning to come in from here while Orochimaru's back heaved for new breath. Itachi's hand went back inside his cloak, standing back dispassionately as his victim slowly tried to regain his composure. Kabuto made sure to stay very still, not about to do something so stupid as to bring attention to himself. He was rather surprised he had been left alive this long, but he supposed that was because his Master was Itachi's main target.

"I've heard about you, Orochimaru. I think I've let you run around long enough. It's time for you to learn your place," he announced slowly, that glare he was giving the man palpable in the air. Orochimaru started at that, not about to sit still and be patronized like a child, even if he was being played around with like one. His Lord suddenly went into such a fluid, graceful movement, ducking down to- be hit across the mouth by the back of Itachi's fist. Orochimaru hit the back of his throne hard, followed by Itachi punching him soundly in the gut. There was a coughing, gagging sound as Orochimaru vomited from the force of the blow. Itachi didn't say anything, didn't make a single noise the whole time as he drew out a kunai and stabbed it deep enough into Orochimaru's shoulder that it pinned him to his throne. Orochimaru screamed at that while Kabuto watched in bizarre fascination as his Lord was tortured. He just cried out and trashed about in the seat, so out of sorts that he wasn't even ordering Kabuto to protect him. That was just as well, because Kabuto wasn't sure if he would even dare to get in-between Uchiha Itachi and his prey. Orochimaru may have been one of the Legendary Sannin; but now, he was stuck to his throne like an insect on a display board. In the world of ninjas, there wasn't enough room for brilliant geniuses like Orochimaru and Uchiha Sasuke. Shinobi died early, either because of missions gone wrong or simply because of professional rivalry. Having true power was just as important as having a famous name or history. Some employers looked for ninjas who were known serial killers, because that was what they needed. Kabuto knew that he had certainly taken advantage of the freedom Orochimaru had given him to kill anyone that got in his way, unlike the peaceful and passive bullshit he had been taught in the medical squad. He should really be trying to get up and protect his Lord; sure that if he focused, he'd be able to at least get his legs moving again- but Kabuto was also far from stupid. Uchiha Itachi would likely kill him before he even made up his mind to attack. So, Kabuto hung back, trying to seem as much like a piece of furniture in this dark cave.

"He's mine. If you dare go near him again, I won't be gracious next time," Itachi threatened in those unchanging, icy tones. There was the sound of ripping cloth followed by a disappointed chuckle from the Akatsuki member. Orochimaru was looking down in front of him, Itachi's large cloak blocking whatever was happening from Kabuto's sight. He could just as well guess at what might be going on, even though he didn't want to.

"You're... kidding," Orochimaru ground out slowly, visibly trying to work his shoulder out. He only got the kunai buried in deeper; making Kabuto wince as blood began to stain the front of his shirt. Once could find it humorous that he was struggling so hard when he had done the same to so many of the victims that had been dragged down into this room. Orochimaru often ruined them before Kabuto could even begin to experiment, finding another corpse bleeding to death on the floor after yet another brutal rape, regardless of gender. Sometimes Kabuto wished Orochimaru just beat them to death instead, because frankly it would be cleaner and easier to pick up after. He wondered if it was such a good thing to cheer on the psychopath attack his Master right now, loving every minute of this bit of divine karma.

"Perhaps I should cut off an ear or such, since I know how much you like your _pretty _face. You should be thankful I don't feel like killing you today," Itachi warned in final tones, obviously done with talking for the rest of his visit. He made Orochimaru's concept of beautiful sound sick and demented just by sneering out one word. Uchiha Itachi was a powerful man, living up to ever one of the rumors whispered about thim. There was ceremony or kissing, like the abusive foreplay that Kabuto had begun to expect. Itachi simply shifted his boots on the floor, one of Orochimaru's legs hoisted up around his side, and leaned forward.

Orochimaru began screaming like something gone mad, using his free and uninjured arm to shove and claw at the man in front of him. All his techniques and strength were rendered useless, Orochimaru unable to make a seal with one arm incapacitated. Kabuto, his faithful little servant, was scared shitless in the corner. Itachi wasn't going to kill his Master for daring to use a Forbidden Jutsu on his little brother; he was raping him. It was so quick and vicious that even Kabuto had to close his eyes, shuddering as he wrapped his arms around himself. Funny, how Orochimaru's screaming sounded so much like Kabuto's own when he had been first taken. How his Master had shattered every little bit of pride and ego within him, making him the pathetic vassal he was today. Kabuto could feel the ropes even now, the same pitiful helplessness hardened up in his stomach and climbing up his throat. He didn't want to be in this room any more, he wanted to run away; but was afraid if he even so much as changed his breathing, Itachi would turn onto him. So, Kabuto huddled back against the wall, hiding in the shadows as Itachi began to move rhythmically over Orochimaru.

Itachi didn't make any noise, didn't even seem to be very turned on by this act. In fact, it seemed like Orochimaru was the only who was remotely feeling anything; and that was pure agony. Kabuto clapped his hands over his ears, trying to drown out his Lord's cries. He hated it, hated every moment of this; unable to move and just so damn, _damned_ scared. Orochimaru wasn't able to put this kind of fear into him, utterly blanking and nearly animalistic in his panic. He didn't care about whatever pain his Master was going through right now, he just wanted that horrible screaming to stop. Orochimaru was unable to take what he dished out, pathetic as he struggled underneath Itachi. The man finally seemed to be satisfied, orgasming with a slight grunt and shudder. Orochimaru coughed, saliva bubbling through his teeth as he futility attempted to hit Itachi. The man just stepped away, jewelry chiming softly as he turned and adjusted himself. Orochimaru was certainly a sight after that, sweating, bleeding, his hair a mess and eyes dilated into two small dots focused on Uchiha Itachi.

"Think about this next time you decide to go near my brother," Itachi suggested like a teacher who had finished a lesson. He turned around smartly, his hair and ornate jewelry exactly the same as when he had first arrived in their headquarters. Kabuto didn't even watch as Itachi sniffed and walked out, just as suddenly as he had come. The man might as well of been a bad dream for how long he had stayed; jus the minimum required to make Orochimaru scream in pain. Kabuto resisted the urge to start crying, huddling up further underneath his arms as he heard the Akatsuki member's footsteps fade. Soon, all that was left was Orochimaru moaning lightly in his throne. It took Kabuto hours- _days- _to regain his sense of self. He had a hard time getting over Uchiha Itachi strolling in and raping Orochimaru on what was a mere whim. The mass-murderer really had spared their lives on a whim. He hadn't known that such monsters existed in the world; some even worse than his own Master. Kabuto _never _wanted to fight Uchiha Itachi... and was forced to start rethinking his next strategy to kill his little brother before Orochimaru became too obsessed.

"Kabuto, you damn fool... Help me," Orochimaru hissed when he finally regained his voice. Kabuto shivered at the sound of it, slowly making the tension leave his body. He was finally able to stand up like a man, though his knees were rather shaky along with his nerves. The candles around the room had burned down considerably, a few already nothing but a cold mound of wax as Kabuto began to walk toward his Lord. Orochimaru was still pinned to the chair by Itachi's kunai, a considerable amount of blood staining down the side of his arm and front of his shirt. Kabuto felt his gaze drop down, unable to help put look at the other damage. The front of Orochimaru's pants had been ripped open, leaving his Master with nothing but leggings to cover himself. There was blood beginning to drip down over the edge of the seat, some from the shoulder wound, most of it from dark area behind Orochimaru's flagging erection.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru whispered it out in a way that promised a beating later if he didn't hurry up. His words were pure gibberish to Kabuto when his heart was pounding so loudly. Every vein in his body was heating up, trembling with excitement. He could smell the blood on the air, faintly metallic, fresh and still welling out from where Itachi had ripped Orochimaru open. The throne was stained with dark red, glistening liquid that caught the little candlelight in its surface and turned it into diamonds. Kabuto was biting on his fingers without even being aware of it, wanting to taste that life-fluid so badly. It had been forever since he had killed, at least a few days...

Kabuto felt his bloodlust take control, unable to hold back when there was so much in front of him.

"My Lord, despite all that, you still felt pleasure?" Polite speech was suddenly so easily to come by. Orochimaru actually got a little red in the face with indignation, surprising for one of his coloring and after suffering so much blood loss in the first place. They both looked down to Orochimaru's groin, the anus surely ruined along with other vital organs, but despite it all had managed to get a hard-on. It was just more proof of how deeply Orochimaru's insanity ran, unable to even get physical sensation right. Kabuto didn't really care. It was like his mouth was a completely separate identity, taking care of the interaction while inwardly he delighted and reveled in how much blood was being shed. Even now Orochimaru was still struggling against that kunai, making a few drops splatter and hit Kabuto on the hand he extended out to his Lord. He couldn't help but shudder... this time in complete and utter passion.

"You bastard- idiot! Get this out," Orochimaru demanded; fingers slick with blood from trying to pull the kunai out of his shoulder. His Lord was obviously losing strength quickly along with his blood, hissing and spitting at Kabuto for not immediately jumping at his command. Kabuto wasn't about to comprehend their positions; that Orochimaru was his feared master when he was flopping around like a gutted fish. He let his hand touch Orochimaru's face, sliding down the cold, glass-like curve of cheek. The monster even _felt _dead. Kabuto was amazed at what a turn-on that was.

"But, don't you find it kind of exciting, being restrained like this?" Kabuto asked softly, lowering his mouth down as Orochimaru began to scream again.

---

"Sasuke! Sasuke, open the fucking door!" Naruto yelled for the hundredth time, pounding on said door with his fist incessantly. Even yelling that Itachi was back in town and that he looked rather weak and vulnerable right now didn't get a reaction. He frowned, hating the cold shoulder more than anything else. Uzumaki Naruto was not about to be ignored. He had more than enough of that from everybody in the whole damn village his entire life, and he wasn't about to take it from his teammate. He would call them lovers if he didn't _know_ that Sasuke would get pissed off. He'd start yelling it to the whole hallway in Sasuke's quiet, musty-smelling apartment building to get the boy to answer the door...The stupid, sulky bastard had been avoiding him since they passed the second test in the Chuunin exam. Things only got more suspicious when Kakashi wasn't at home when Naruto visited- the only conclusion being that the two were doing some sort of secret training without him! It was completely unfair, even if he had run off with that Perverted Hermit for training of his own. Naruto had been caught up in it, but after waking up in the hospital with three days until the final exam, he found himself with a little bit of time to confront Sasuke about what was going on.

Even if Sasuke was avoiding him like the plague, not even coming to the one meeting Kakashi had held just to catch up with them all, he still had to come home and sleep. The middle of the night was a sure time for Naruto to catch the asshole, whom had even stopped talking to Sakura as well. When even she was complaining that the boy was becoming withdrawn, more so than usual, Naruto knew something bad was going on.

Things had seemed to be going so well between them too, but ever since they had been in the Forbidden Area for the exam and that creepy snake pervert had knocked him out, Sasuke had been distant. Naruto wasn't about to let him get away with it. He wasn't about to give up and just go home like Sasuke probably wanted, either. The silent treatment wasn't enough to get to the man who would be Hokage...

...No, it would be the fact that Sasuke was trying to get rid of him, finally fed up and dropping him without a word. Naruto didn't want to believe that Sasuke was like everyone else, that the boy could lock his door and pretend not to see or him hear him as the rest of the village did. They may be rivals, but Naruto had also held the arrogant jerk when he had nightmares of his family being murdered, seen Sasuke naked, finally made love one night when Sasuke had actually said it would be okay- and now all of a sudden, he couldn't get the time of day from the bastard! If it was because they'd eventually be fighting in the Chuunin exam, Naruto would have to laugh aloud. They may be best friends, each probably the only one the other had ever really opened up to, but this was a part of the path to becoming Hokage! Besides, the officials had explained that even if Sasuke lost a match to Naruto, he'd still have a chance to pass. In a fight, it didn't matter if the enemy was a lover, family member, or the run-of-the-mill bad guy; only one person was ever left standing when the dust cleared. Sasuke would just have to gracefully accept the fact that Naruto was going to kick his ass, and afterward there was no reason why they couldn't still be friends. It wasn't like they _didn't_ fight every single day anyway.

Naruto sighed, dropping a slightly numb and tingling hand down when Sasuke refused to answer. If Sasuke wasn't at home, where would he be instead? What if he had gone over to Naruto's apartment, to do the same thing he was doing now at Sasuke's? Naruto shifted his feet, torn between trying to knock again and running back home to check, when there was the sound of something crashing and breaking on the other side of the door. Naruto narrowed his eyes, as if he could see through the wood to tell exactly what was going on. There was silence...and then one loud, agonized scream that came out slowly, like a kitten being tortured to death.

If the kitten's name was Sasuke...

"Damn it! I'm breaking the door down, Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, hoping to spare the other boy the damage if he was in any shape to unlock it. Otherwise, he was already backing up to the other side of the hall for a running start at the door. He wasn't going to stand there quietly and pretend like nothing was going on when he had definitely just heard Sasuke cry out He wasn't like Sasuke, not like everybody else. Naruto felt real fear that something bad might be happening to his friend, so he slammed his shoulder into the door with all intent to break it down.

And failed.

"Ow-ww-ow," Naruto whined out as he slid down against it, grabbing his bruised side with his other hand. He was too small to do any damage- at least on the first try. Naruto forced his knees to support him instead of falling all the way to the floor, trying to rub out the pain of his shoulder before his second attempt. Naruto was ready to launch forward again, ready to break the door or bones, whichever came first...before the soft click of the deadbolt being pulled back brought him up short. Naruto shuffled forward, ready to force the door open if Sasuke decided to change his mind suddenly while it cracked open.

There weren't any lights on in Sasuke's apartment. If anything, it was like the darkness was trying to spread out into the hallway instead of the light breaking through the shadows. Naruto could barely make Sasuke out, just a pale, disembodied face framed by black hair and black clothing. He was hunched over, even shorter than Naruto at the moment with one hand grasping the back of his neck. Sasuke was sweating despite it being the middle of the night, and the weather today had been perfect, as usual. There were heavy bruises underneath his eyes that made Sasuke seem even more irritated than usual. Naruto wasn't even sure what he was there for now, all reasons stolen away by that haunted, dead look in Sasuke's eyes.

"Are you okay?" Naruto knew Sasuke hated that question, but he couldn't help asking it all the same. Sasuke nodded disconnectedly, his gaze focused somewhere else. Naruto didn't like it at all, stuck there with his mouth hanging open and Sasuke not opening the door any further. The dark-haired boy gradually leaned further and further over until he hit the wall, too exhausted to even stand up straight as he used the support to glare at Naruto.

"Is that it?" Sasuke's voice was hard and broken, much deeper than Naruto was used to hearing. Naruto started to say something and stopped, not even sure what was wrong in the first place. Sasuke just smirked at him before the door started to creak and close back up- until Naruto slammed his foot in the way, pushing the door so hard that it cracked against the wall and Sasuke fell backward clumsily. Naruto knew then that something was very seriously wrong, because Sasuke wouldn't have even of opened the door in the first place if he was in such bad shape. He rushed forward, catching Sasuke by the arm before he could fall all the way to the floor and kicking the door closed behind him...

"Ah! Hot!" Naruto yelled, dropping Sasuke's elbow before his hand burned off. The taller boy stumbled back on the heels of his feet, catching himself against the corner of the wall leading into his small kitchen. It was too dark to see anything more than Sasuke panting hard, clearly doing his all to remain upright in front of Naruto even if it killed him. Sasuke must be in a lot of pain, so much that he was asking for Naruto's help underneath the typical sour attitude. He didn't understand it in the slightest.

"What's going on, Sasuke?!" Naruto demanded, wanting to know why he had been ignored, then let into the apartment despite the little show of pride Sasuke always made, and now ignored again! Naruto wasn't always known for being a patient person, but at least he tried for Sasuke...for a little bit. The resolve always wore down pretty quickly when the other boy was so damn _stubborn!_

"I was- training...and," Sasuke couldn't get out much more without pausing for breath.

"Never mind. Go lie down," Naruto insisted, deciding it wasn't worth Sasuke passing out just to hear his reasons why. He hand was still smoldering from holding onto the boy for just a moment, so he could only imagine what kind of training it must be. Sasuke probably wouldn't even explain more than that, being a secretive bastard. He just kept on glaring at him until Naruto just grabbed his shoulder and yanked him forward. The boy stumbled bonelessly, predictably, and one more shove had him off in the direction of the other room to make up Sasuke's apartment.

Naruto turned into the kitchen, his hand fumbling around on the wall until he found the light, clicking it on and wishing he hadn't. Every cabinet was open, every drawer ripped out of the wall and on the floor along with the small collection of cooking utensils Sasuke owned. A bag of rice had probably exploded after being tossed into the corner, dry grains scattered around. It was hard to believe that such a pretty boy could cause this sort of destruction. Naruto didn't even bother to pick his steps through the mess, just kicked aside a path to get to the refrigerator. He opened up the freezer and pulled out the only thing there: a tray full of ice cubes. Naruto immediately turned back around, flicked the light back off, and went straight into the bathroom, which was no more than a few steps. Sasuke's apartment was even smaller than his, but usually much cleaner. When it was trashed, it seemed a little crowded. The bathroom didn't look like it had faired much better, the toilet and sink barely intact when the shelves that had been fastened to the wall were on the floor. Naruto only had to lean down and pick up a towel and shake it out before he ran the cold water at the sink and soaked a large section of it. He didn't wait for it to stop dripping when he turned the water off, figuring that the place already looked like hell as he gathered up his supplies and tromped out into the only other room in Sasuke's apartment.

The only nice thing about the place was the large window...except for the view of a brick wall a few feet away that less than inspiring, but perfect for a recluse like Sasuke. The weak bit of streetlight that came down between the buildings was still more than enough light to see by since his vision had always been above average. Extra chakra wasn't the only benefit he got for being the vessel of a Demon Fox. Still wasn't a fair trade for living his whole life in isolation. Naruto didn't understand how Sasuke could actually _like _it.

Naruto had to walk around the simple square table that had been upturned and tossed against the wall to the futon in the corner, glad for once that Sasuke didn't have too many personal items to toss around. The only thing that was untouched was the fat, ornate dresser in the opposite corner, one side scorched black from a fire but still functional. Even in the middle of whatever rage had taken Sasuke, he couldn't damage that particular piece of furniture. Sasuke had yet to tell him the story, but Naruto could guess easily enough that it was something leftover from his family. He had to make assumptions, because it wasn't like Sasuke was the type to get down and talk about his feelings.

As Naruto approached the small futon, it was clear that Sasuke was in a lot of pain on top of the covers. He was curled around his left arm, hissing and shuddering while his other hand was reaching across his chest to clutch at his neck. Naruto crouched down, setting the ice tray on the floor before reaching down for Sasuke's left wrist. He couldn't help wincing at the heat but forced himself to keep a steady, light grip as he pulled the arm out. Sasuke was biting his lower lip but not protesting, sweat glistening on his face. He could guess that it was all the other boy could do to keep from crying out like he had before.

Naruto extended Sasuke's arm out for a quick inspection, the skin from his fingers to the hem of his shirt hardened and dried, some patches flaking off entirely as if Sasuke had indeed been burned. The heat was unbelievable underneath his hand, so he couldn't even imagine what it must be like for Sasuke. Naruto just started to wrap the wet part of the towel around Sasuke's arm, knowing that if he commented on anything right now the jerk would probably toss him right back out. Sasuke liked to pretend that he was super human...or just inhuman.

Immediately there was a slight spasm that went from head to toe when the cold, wet cloth hit fevered and tender skin. Naruto wrapped the towel around it enough times to keep the water from soaking through to the futon, setting the ice down above Sasuke's elbow and using the extra terrycloth to hold it in place. Sasuke's breathing was already easier, able to actually lie on his back instead of curled up on his side in pain. Maybe this training wasn't something to be jealous about after all, if Sasuke was hurting this much.

"What are you doing here, moron?"

Naruto supposed that was Sasuke for 'thank you.' So typical of him to not even be able to say a single word of gratitude, despite the fact Naruto was helping him though the jerk had tried to shut the door in his face. Most people would have walked away, but Naruto was of a different breed. He wasn't about to leave a friend in need, but it was hard to resist the urge to punch Sasuke for acting like Naruto was some sort of stranger. His eyes were clenched closed as if Naruto would eventually leave on his own now that that particular crisis had been dealt with.

"Oh, I just came by to see this jerk who keeps avoiding me. Maybe you've seen him, he got his ass kicked like usual and is a major, depressing pain," Naruto asked cheerfully, trying to hit as many buttons as possible. It worked, because Sasuke's eyes slitted open to glare straight up at him, a threat clear in those dark depths. Naruto just ignored it, waiting for the explanation. Sakura didn't really tell Naruto much of what had happened when he had been unconscious, just that Sasuke had fought with that woman-man thing and had been hurt badly somehow. Typical.

"Shut up, Naruto. I'm not in the mood," Sasuke hissed out, wincing and tightening his grip around his neck even though Naruto had already taken care of his arm. Sasuke bit his lower lip again, chewing on it as his knees bent up, toes digging into the sheets as the boy tried to stay still on his back despite being in obvious agony.

"You're never in '_the mood,_'" Naruto returned bitterly before asking, "Is something wrong with your neck?" That made Sasuke's eyes shoot open, focusing on Naruto's face as if he expected a third eye or something equally horrifying.

"No!" Sasuke yelled it out, reflex rather than the truth. Naruto frowned down at the other boy, doubting that Sasuke could see his disappointed expression in the darkness. So much for thinking they were friends if Sasuke wasn't even going to tell him what was going on. Naruto would be okay with a reason, no matter if it was because Sasuke hated or loved him, because at least then he wouldn't be worrying. He didn't like feeling uneasy, slightly scared that something might be seriously wrong with Sasuke this time. This wasn't simply from training too hard.

"So, Kakashi's teaching you some secret move? Must be nice, being the teacher's favorite," Naruto spat out, crossing his arms as he sent bitter, resentful thoughts out toward the both of them. Weren't they all supposed to be a team? Naruto was the odd one out, yet again, because at least Sakura knew just what the hell had crawled up Sasuke's butt during the Chuunin exam. Maybe Kakashi wasn't teaching her some Class A technique, but Sakura didn't want to learn them anyway. Naruto _did_, and he trained twice as hard as Sasuke everyday of the week! Some people weren't born geniuses. It was totally unfair.

He realized Sasuke wasn't saying anything smart back, and opened one eye to see what the hell was going on. Sasuke was laying there, a blush on his face and an agonized expression on his face that wasn't so much physical anymore. Naruto frowned, wondering if he should really just leave after all. He wasn't wanted here after all. He should have been expecting it, should have known better than to believe someone cared, however little Sasuke did. Just those small scraps of attention when Sasuke was actually looking at him and not glaring, when he smiled...well, gave the impression of it, since Sasuke never really showed any emotion beyond irritation.

"I'm sorry, it's...oh..._damn_, Naruto, it hurts!" Sasuke had started out calm and soft before losing it at the end, screaming and kicking his legs against the floor. Sasuke's back arched up until just his head and his feet were touching the ground, tearing his arm out of the towel to grab at his neck. Naruto forgot to feel sorry for himself. He quickly jumped over the struggling form and grabbed Sasuke's wrists, yanking his hands away before he managed to hurt himself. Sasuke might have been incoherent with the pain, but he was still strong enough to rip his good hand away and shove it into Naruto's face to try to push him away. Through a good deal of twisting and light wrestling, since Naruto was frankly scared to get rough with Sasuke right now, he managed to turn the other boy onto his stomach and sat down on his back to keep him there. Naruto had to hold Sasuke's head still in order to do it, but he pulled down the collar of his shirt to look at the back of his neck.

It kind of looked like bruise; the skin around the mark flushed red and scratched up from Sasuke's fingernails. Three black teardrops in a circle, raised welts on top of otherwise smooth skin, with a black ring of scribble around it. Naruto couldn't understand it, didn't know just when the hell it had gotten on Sasuke, but he didn't like it at all. He got a bad feeling from it, his skin crawling at the sight of it. Naruto wanted to tear it right off of Sasuke, certain that this was the reason why Sasuke had been acting so weird lately.

"What the hell is this?" Naruto demanded, poking the mark just in case Sasuke tried to play dumb about it. He immediately felt bad when Sasuke cried out and raked his hand down alongside the floor as if he could crawl away from the pain. Naruto had to move off of Sasuke than, staying close as Sasuke simply went into the fetal position, pulling his shirt up as if trying to hide something more than that weird bruise.

"Orochimaru...left it. It's a cursed...seal," Sasuke explained in a stuttered, breaking speech that clearly took effort. The boy was remaining on his side,

"Oro-...Who?! Cursed _what_?" Naruto demanded, irritated when he couldn't repeat that stupid, long name. At least, he figured it was a name. It was hard to tell with the overwhelming amount of details Sasuke was letting loose. Granted, he was probably in a lot pain, but Naruto didn't like to sit there and simply watch while Sasuke was hurting this badly. Having no answers on frustrated him more.

"Kakashi sealed it, but...it still acts up," Sasuke added in a raspy voice before he started moaning, digging his face into the bedding. Naruto couldn't even help Sasuke if he was struggling like this, short of sparing the boy by knocking him unconscious. If his neck was causing him this much pain, there was no way Naruto could try to cool his arm when Sasuke was just going to start fighting. Kakashi hadn't done a good job of sealing that nasty mark, but even worse, he hadn't told Naruto about it. So, Sakura and Kakashi already knew what was wrong with Sasuke and didn't say anything to him? Well, Sasuke should have told him days ago anyway, but Naruto hadn't expected his teammates to keep secrets. Sasuke must have asked them to...because otherwise it mean those two didn't think Naruto was _worth _telling, and that was even worse.

"Does it hurt?" Naruto asked, wondering if it might just be overheating like Sasuke's arm. The question as more to distract himself from feeling bad, but it was hard to stop once he got started. There were certainly very few things to actually look forward to, and Naruto wasn't so sure if Kakashi and Sakura really were now. Why hadn't they told him about Sasuke? Even if their relationship wasn't common knowledge, their friendship was! Why didn't either of them want the Demon Fox to know that Sasuke had been messed up this badly?

"_Yes_, dammit!" Sasuke screamed it out, but this time it was in pure rage. Naruto was surprised that nobody had knocked on the door to ask what was going on. And that was all the time he had left for thinking before Sasuke swung a wild fist at him with his good hand. It caught Naruto on the ear, not really hard enough to hurt but stung like hell for it anyway. It seemed Sasuke managed to punch out the last little bit of Naruto's patience at the same time, sick and tired of being ignored for his whole life. He grabbed Sasuke's hand and pinned it down on the opposite side of his head, stretching it awkwardly across his chest and successfully restraining Sasuke. The boy tried to use his other arm, the burning one, but Naruto quickly slammed his knee down on top of Sasuke's wrist. There was a cry of pain, but Naruto covered it up with a scream of his own.

"Fuck you, Uchiha! I'm _trying _to help, so stop being such a jerk!" Naruto ordered it, grinding and pressing down hard wherever he could. He didn't care if Sasuke was hurting or not, because he was acting absolutely ridiculous, like a damn child! Sasuke didn't cry out anymore, just started to outright sob on the futon as he still bucked and struggled; but not get out from under Naruto. It was because of that thing on his neck, making Sasuke practically crazy. He didn't know what to do anymore beyond get Sasuke to the hospital as fast as possible. Sasuke needed to see some experts if Kakashi had already tried to seal it once...the fact that it still pained Sasuke this much was frightening, since Kakashi was one of the top Jounin in the entire village.

"Naruto, I'm scared. I can _feel _it, and it wants to take over me," Sasuke whispered; just as much terror in his voice as when he woke up screaming from nightmares that he never spoke about. Naruto could see the honest fear in the jet-black of Sasuke's eyes, damn sure that there was still more to the bruise but happy with just those small, honest sentences. Sasuke trusted him enough to admit to being scared of something, anything at all, much less that creepy tattoo-like thing on his neck. He moved his leg off of Sasuke's arm then, but didn't let go of his other wrist while Sasuke was still shuddering and wincing with every breath.

"I'm not gonna let that happen, even if it _does _manage to beat you," Naruto assured Sasuke, even though he was still unclear on what 'it' was. He doubted that Sasuke was going to lose to anything, much less what was happening inside his own body, but Naruto still wished there was more he could do to help. He couldn't even let Sasuke go, or he would either end up getting attacked again or Sasuke would wind up hurting himself. So, making sure to keep a good grip on the other boy in case he started being violent again, Naruto slowly lowered himself down lengthwise onto the futon with his chest to Sasuke's shoulder.

"What are you doing...idiot?" Sasuke had to make an extra effort to make that question insulting, but Naruto would be seriously worried if he hadn't. He ignored Sasuke, using his toes to slide his shoes off and kick them away before he finally found a comfortable spot pressed up against Sasuke's side. Sasuke's arm was a hot length against his stomach and Naruto was sure that if he wasn't wearing his jacket his skin would have been burned crispy. They were both very still for a moment as Naruto felt his muscles relax and spine straighten now that he was finally laying down while the other boy seemed to concentrate on turning into a piece of ice. Sasuke tugged at his hand, silently telling Naruto to let go, that he wasn't in uncontrollable pain anymore. He did, but then reached up to pull Sasuke's shirt down again to stare at that wicked bruise, little whorls reminding him of the ones in Sasuke's Sharingan.

"Giving you something else to think about, jerk," Naruto explained, even though he was kind of surprised himself. This just felt natural, but he wanted Sasuke to give him permission, checking the reaction Sasuke gave him-which was none-before putting his mouth down on top of it. He didn't really think that he would be able to kiss it better, but he was sure some pressure and moistness might help. Sasuke made a noise somewhere between annoyance and relief which Naruto found to be incredibly cute, not that he would tell the other boy, and figured that the kiss was helping matters. Naruto put his tongue against Sasuke's neck and found himself doing his best not to gag at the metallic tang of the seal. He tried to bear it for a second and failed, ripping his mouth away and spitting out the taste. Naruto stuck his tongue out miserably, hoping to dry away the pure...evil of that thing.

Sasuke moaned very, very lightly as his head tilted back to allow more of his neck to be exposed, as good of offer as Naruto had ever gotten. He immediately put his lips back down against Sasuke's flesh, angry that it didn't taste the same as usual, but determined not let some mystery seal keep him away from Sasuke or hurt him either. If he just ignored the stinging flavor of that seal, it was probably the longest Sasuke had ever allowed him to kiss something other than his lips.

"That helps, Naruto. Don't stop," Sasuke's voice had its normal fierceness back, if not the strength. He didn't mind if Sasuke wanted to order him around, because it was still a hundred times better than being stuck outside the door in the quiet hallway, loneliness getting more and more palpable by the minute. He much preferred being squashed against Sasuke's bony body, actually useful and wanted for once. Naruto knew he was good at distractions, and it seemed that that was exactly what Sasuke needed right now instead of being stuck alone in his apartment with the pain. Even if he was already sweating from holding Sasuke so close, and he had to pause and swallow down the urge to vomit at the sour taste starting to numb his lips.

It had to be even worse for Sasuke.

What was a little discomfort, anyway? At least he wasn't wounded or such, because an open and bleeding wound would hurt a lot more than this. Naruto firmly told himself to stop acting like a child at these small things when he was finally back at Sasuke's side, actually being complimented for once ...well, at least being told he was doing _something _right. It made Naruto feel so proud and happy, such a nice contrast to the first few moments when he could only stand in front of Sasuke's door and feel like it was a thousand miles away. It even gave him the courage to finally slip a hand underneath Sasuke's shirt, his thumb resting lightly over the dip of his bellybutton. Sasuke shuddered before going still again as if it actually mattered what he looked like in front of Naruto now; though he couldn't determine if it was because of the pain or someone else touching him. Sasuke was surprisingly sensitive for otherwise having the personality of a rock intent on starting an avalanche, the tiniest things making pale white skin break out in goose bumps and the hair on Sasuke's neck visibly start to stand up.

Naruto decided to let his hand slide up and Sasuke's shirt up with it too instead of reaching downward like he really wanted to. No reason to piss Sasuke off when he had just managed to get back in his good graces. One thing Naruto had learned was that you had to work for _everything _when it came to Sasuke- hell, it had taken days just to get Sasuke to admit that they had indeed kissed for real. His fingers brushed against one of Sasuke's nipples, and when he felt it tighten into a hard numb, Naruto promptly forgot about trying to get Sasuke's shirt all the way off. It was much more interesting to just push the fabric out of the way and push it down so he could still suck on Sasuke's neck and see what he was doing at the same time. Naruto watched in fascination as the pale, pink circle of flesh pimpled up into a hard cone while he only circled a finger around it.

Sasuke made a small whimper in the back of his throat, only audible because Naruto was close enough to see his Adam's apple bob with it; otherwise, Naruto would have just attributed it to the apartment building settling. It was enough to make Naruto feel uncomfortably hot, and it wasn't because of Sasuke's arm any more. He had to take a deep breath through his nose, trying very hard to tell the hardening limb between his legs to _stop_¸that it wasn't time yet...and found it a wretched failure. Whither he wanted to or not, Naruto found himself grinding a hard-on against the other boy's thigh just because he was teasing Sasuke's chest. Naruto chewed absently on the back of Sasuke's neck with the seal underneath his teeth reminding him vaguely of metal, waiting for the reprimands and insults he knew were coming. Sasuke shifted around at that, but only to press himself further up against Naruto.

"Naruto, make it go away," Sasuke breathed softly, almost begging it as he stared upward at the ceiling; determined not to meet Naruto's gaze when he finally lifted his mouth away to look Sasuke in the eyes. It sounded too good to be true, Naruto certain that he was just reading that double meaning underneath the words because he was a complete pervert. He couldn't help it that Sasuke had the kind of face he loved the most, all smooth and soft like a doll with raven black hair. He had a soft spot for the morose and pessimistic, which Sasuke matched to a T. It wasn't just a simple crush, because Naruto wouldn't feel so scared about making the wrong move right now. The man who went on and on about becoming Hokage couldn't even bring himself to do anything more than lie there beside Sasuke- because that was the only thing Naruto could do that he was sure wouldn't get him into trouble.

"You total moron," Sasuke spat out impatiently after nothing further. He turned his head, soft hair hitting Naruto in the face and brushing against his nose before it was all replaced by Sasuke's lips, Sasuke kissing him for once. It was heaven compared to sucking on that nasty symbol, Naruto trying to cover up the aftertaste by relishing every bit of lip, tongue, and mouth. Sasuke really was an important person to him. He didn't know when it had happened, maybe it had just been the fact that they had been assigned to the same team and Sasuke had been forced to hang out with him. Naruto had thought he hated the other boy at first, obsessed on the arrogant jerk almost as much as he did with Sakura, but since they were both boys he had never thought that it might be love...not until that day Sasuke had thrown himself in front of an attack that should have hit him dead on, had died in his arms fighting Haku-or so Naruto had thought at the time. Since then, it had been easy to see how quickly he could lose the precious few people that actually noticed him. It almost enough to make him regret all the time he had wasted fighting with Sasuke, until he looked closer at it, really thought about it all, and realized he enjoyed teasing the sullen bastard. It was better to have Sasuke yelling and throwing shuriken at him than standing off to the side in complete silence no matter what anyone said to him.

Clothes came off with mutual teamwork, thrown aside carelessly into the mess Sasuke had already made of his apartment. Naruto broke the kiss only to lick his was down the underside of Sasuke's jaw, kissing the top of his heaving collarbone as the other boy's breathing hastened, and finally latching onto a very pale, pink nipple. Sasuke moaned and twisted his legs against Naruto's, but didn't actually push him away or call him an idiot for once. Naruto had never been allowed such freedom before, and enjoyed the subtle difference in taste between the hardening nub underneath his teeth and the soft skin surrounding it. Sasuke was much more daring than him, reaching between them to stroke Naruto's hardening cock. He had a hard time seeing straight after that, not expecting that Sasuke would ever go above slightly intense making-out of his own choice.

Sasuke made a weak noise and his grip tightened spasmodically to make Naruto see stars, his other hand reaching behind himself. He found himself hesitating with the wet tip of his cock pressed against Sasuke's butt hole, guided there by the other boy's hand. Naruto frowned down, wondering why someone who hated sex as much as Sasuke did seemed to be so experienced with it. The other boy had never started anything of his own accord; more like he allowed Naruto to fool around and sometimes would actually get some pleasure out of it. Naruto had never done this to anyone else before, even though it felt right... he was scared nonetheless, a chilling bit of ice in the pit of his stomach as he thought about the consequences.

"Sasuke, I can't, I'll hurt you," Naruto whispered, feeling sorry for the thinner, paler boy underneath him. There was a pause, all the passion gone and nothing but an awkward guilt left behind. He waited for Sasuke to tell him what to do like usual, even if he usually yelled at the dark-haired boy for daring to do so. The other boy seemed desperate and rushed tonight, maybe because of the pain or how quickly the situation had degenerated into this...but Naruto couldn't help admitting a part of him liked seeing Sasuke helpless, at least on the inside, no matter how much Sasuke was trying to cover it up by taking the situation in hand. And squeezing a bit harder than necessary, pumping him once and twice until Naruto complete forgot what everything else was about.

"Trust me, Naruto. You can't hurt me," Sasuke whispered back in a chill manner-of-fact, his eyes dead and glazed and Naruto just _knew _it had something to do with his brother. He was afraid to ask, afraid to say anything else in case it broke whatever spell had come over Sasuke to actually allow this. Sometimes he would cry in his sleep, tears leaking out from closed eyes as he murmured for his brother. Sasuke still woke up screaming in the middle of the night, looking around for a weapon until he finally came back to his senses. Naruto didn't tell Sasuke about his night habits, of course, because he was sure the boy would kill him for knowing of such weakness. Naruto just thought it was human, certain that Sasuke had gone through some pretty terrible things even if he refused to talk about it.

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered before he kissed Sasuke, hoping to distract the other boy before he finally drove in, instinctive seeking to get himself in all the way. After the unbelievable tight resistance of Sasuke's muscles, it was warm and soft around hypersensitive skin. He really should have thought more about Sasuke, but he was young and eager. Naruto didn't have the stamina to think about making it last, not sure if he even really gave Sasuke enough time to adjust. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, unable to back out of this when Sasuke had an iron grip around both his upper arms. Fingers were digging in-between tendons, sure to bruise but feeling amazing simply because it was Sasuke doing it. Naruto pulled out a bit, panted, and then thrust back in, wanting the friction and not even sure why. Sasuke groaned and twisted in such a way that Naruto wasn't sure if he was hurting the boy or not.

"Sorry," Naruto forced it out, almost unable to even speak clearly. Sasuke had his back arched all the way off the floor; eyes closed in what could either be pain or pleasure...His face completely showing whatever emotion Sasuke was going through right now. Naruto couldn't have looked away even if he wanted to. Sasuke didn't even know how beautiful he could be, almost like a girl with that heart-shaped face and soft lips. Sasuke didn't give much thought to his looks, even though half the village would pass out in a dead faint if he walked around the place. The girls were always screaming Sasuke's name like they knew him, peeking around corners and giggling at him; pointing at _that _ugly kid walking next to him. Naruto always heard those whispers about the Demon-Fox boy running around with the Uchiha, what a cruel twist of fate to have the last survivor of Konoha's noble family teamed up with such a mistake like Uzumaki Naruto. None of them would ever guess that he was screwing Sasuke on the side, mouth permanently attached to the other boy's shoulder, unable to get enough of him.

"Shut up," Sasuke ordered, keeping his eyes clenched shut and drawing blood with his nails on Naruto's arms. His usually stylized jet-black hair was sticking to the sweat on his face, his lower lip trembling in an obvious effort to keep from saying any more. Sasuke twisted around on the blanket, making some sort of pleading noise as Naruto bit his lip and concentrated on what his body was telling him to do. He was pretty sure it didn't hurt any more from the look on Sasuke's face, lips parted in a strange, frantic sort of passion. Naruto had never seen Sasuke look so alive before, not even when he was in extreme pain from some fatal wound and unable to keep from crying. The sound of them both breathing, flesh hitting flesh as he repeatedly moved back and forth over Sasuke, his own heart threatening to explode out of his chest. He orgasmed somewhere inside of Sasuke, ejaculating up into warm organs and shuddering in release. Sasuke came soon after; a streaming mess between both their stomachs as Naruto's arms refused to hold him up anymore. He fell down on top of the other boy, his arms suddenly loosing all of their strength. Sasuke cursed and began to cough at that, considerably weaker now as well.

"Idiot, get off! You're heavy," Sasuke snapped tiredly, trying to struggle out from underneath Naruto and failing. His hands pushed at his body and slipped right off, Sasuke unable to shove him away and Naruto lacking the strength to move. They both could only pant, Naruto enjoying the sweaty heat coming off Sasuke. All his joints and muscles settled, finding a perfect little spot on top of the other boy to fall asleep in. Why would he want to move away from this?

"You're warm," Naruto argued, digging his face into the curve of Sasuke's neck. The boy made a protesting sound, one hand slamming down on top of his head and attempting to shove him away. Naruto grabbed Sasuke around the sides and held on for dear life, still burying up to the hilt inside the other boy and wanting to keep it that way. He belated remembered that seal on Sasuke's neck and found it quickly, reeking something fierce on top of Sasuke's scent. Naruto didn't like it, but he figured that Sasuke must feel even worse about it. Naruto put his mouth back down onto the other boy's skin, pressing his lips on top of that foul welt. It really wasn't much, just a bad taste in his mouth compared to how Sasuke had taken a full load of senbon with his body in order to protect him. Sasuke had his own nightmares, but Naruto was still haunted by the sight of Sasuke's back punched full of needles, a fatal attack he had ridiculously protected Naruto from. He didn't know why Sasuke had done it to this day, certain that there was no way he could actually mean so much to anyone. Nobody cared that much about him. He was the Nine-tailed Demon Fox, after all...and an idiot to boot, just like Sasuke said, too stupid to move away from the raven-haired boy right now. It wasn't fair that Sasuke could be so soft and cuddly when he had such a sour attitude, so delicious underneath that damn seal. If Naruto ever found that Orochi-whatever guy, he'd be sure to give him one good.

"Fine- Naruto...Let's make... a deal," Sasuke was having a little bit of trouble speaking. Naruto realized that it only seemed to get worse as he ran his tongue over those three whorls. He wasn't sure if he should listen or not, more focused on making Sasuke squirm around him. Naruto was too tired to get hard again, but it still felt wonderful to have the other boy's inner muscles clamping around him with every twitch and breath Sasuke made. Naruto may be shorter than Sasuke, but he simply had more muscle and weight on the other boy; at least when Sasuke was exhausted like this. Naruto was sure that if his arm had been feeling all right and he didn't have that damn _mark _on the back of his neck, Sasuke would probably be kicking his ass across the village right now.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked miserably, figuring it would be something like 'if you leave now, I won't kill you for this later' or such. He probably would never be thanked for trying to relieve Sasuke of his pain, but he was more than used to be ignored. Hell, Naruto should be thankful that he was here right now, actually given the chance to take advantage of Sasuke's closeness, the intimacy of another person.

"If you... If you keep doing that, I'll let you stay the night," Sasuke growled out contemptuously, turning his head away from Naruto to present a mess of black hair sticking out at all angles. Sasuke had never offered it aloud before, one of them inadvertently falling asleep before the other; that was how the ended up sleeping together in the first place. Naruto couldn't help but smile at that. He had never had anyone ask him to stay before- no one had ever even asked him to play or come over to their house after school, like he heard all the other kids talk about. He never had a curfew, never even had parents to report to. He was so alone, always so damn _lonely_. It felt pathetic to put it into such small words, but that was all he had. Naruto couldn't remember another time anyone had ever been so kind to him, not even Iruka or Kakashi taking the time to stay with him longer than a few hours.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked in a soft, confused voice as he slowly went still underneath him. He didn't answer to that voice, didn't want to admit to the fact that there were tears falling down his face. He just held onto Sasuke, one of the few people who actually acknowledged that he was even alive- and didn't hate him for it either. So many people had _hated _Naruto for simply existing, but not Sasuke. Sasuke was just irritated at _him_, not the demon he held within his body. Everytime they argued Naruto felt like his whole reason for being was confirmed. If he didn't irritate Sasuke everyday, just whom would he make angry? Everyone else hated him purely because the whole damn village had just learned to act that way, the same shielded, and scornful glare turned on him as people learned by example... Even little children screamed and ran away when they saw him coming up. Naruto had jaded to it, just a little- the necessary amount to keep him functioning from day to day, but it always hurt. He didn't have _anyone_, and Sasuke was offering himself so easily.

Sasuke put soft hands on Naruto's back, pulling him in closer. Naruto just lay on top of Sasuke, forgetting the other boy's injuries, how he had complained about him being too heavy- _everything_, just wanted to be held by someone else. It was weak and didn't befit a Chuunin candidate, but Naruto wanted it so badly. He practically _needed _to be close to Sasuke, whether the boy was a complete jerk or not. He could call Naruto whatever names he wanted and it still wouldn't be as bad as what the adults called him; horrible things that sometimes Naruto didn't even understand... he just knew that he was hated. He stayed on top of Sasuke for a long time afterward, breathing in the smell of Sasuke's sweat and even fainter shampoo- along with the salt of his own tears as Sasuke let him cry onto his shoulder. It was another person; someone else...just someone else who acknowledged that he even existed. That was more than enough for him, nuzzling up to warmth of Sasuke's injured arm, his whole body, and that underlying love that Naruto had never imagined anyone would give him.

He kept on crying for a long time afterward, and Sasuke didn't call him an idiot once.

---

I am proven correct yet again by the sixth opening of Naruto.

Sasuke and Naruto have a homosexual relationship.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thank you to Atsumi Haruko, cdk, Ciao Felicitas, crystal, duenna, GinTsuki, hentaiyarou, Iceheart19, KizuPL, Lady Gackt, Lexy, ManiacReversed, Monkeylady, Navi, Ookima, Pyschobratt, Rikkali, rim, ringlain, ryuukasasuke, Shieny, Simply Ordinary, Spooy, viciouscallisto, and Yancha!

This is a PWP where the story's made up and the points don't matter!

I have listened to smut orders and put them down...Let's see... Itachi comes in with twenty-five points to come back and being a loving, smarmy character with...that...voice (turns bass up a little bit more and shudders). Sorry kids, he's just too psycho of a bastard to be loving, in my fair opinion. I hope this balances it out somehow for you.

Kakashi drew in a whooping 100 just for showing up, and the fact that he was with Sasuke got the popularity vote.

However, Sasuke still wins with a thousand points (he would have gotten a million if he just shook his ass a little, but couldn't be talked into it), and so Naruto's getting lucky by association.

I blame everyone's reviews for sparking these sorts of thoughts/pairings, you guys are a bad influence...that I LOVE so much and live off of (snuggles all). Sniff. : Wipes away those tears of joy: This chapter is dedicated to the ladies. The other three were for the men...Why? _Because_, that's why! Like I need justification to write a Neji/Naruto...which I don't really see happening, but it's fun to do the crazy, would-love-to-see-happen-but-nobody-writes-it relationships (grabs handy-dandy drool bucket before I fantasize all over my keyboard...that sounds bad)

Sorry this took so long.

Have ALL my fics been banned from yet? Free your soul my ass.


	5. I've gotta make somebody love me

Disclaimer: Naruto and other characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi. Actual gay sex was MY idea, thank you very much.

… along with the exclamation mark and the Internet.

(And if you're not up to date on the anime or whatever ungodly-numbered manga chapter it is, there _are_ spoilers)

Naruto kicked a rock down the middle of the road, glaring at the ground in front of him since he couldn't give that look to any of the other villagers. That would more than likely start trouble that Naruto just didn't want right now, anyone ready to fight with the Nine-Tails Fox Demon. Even after taking the Genin exam and shoving it all right back in their faces when he defeated Neji, not that much had changed. A few people no longer outright cursed or spat when he went by . . . but that was only because they respected his strength now. Naruto caught up with the rock he had kicked earlier, sending it rolling again as he strode miserably around the village. There had already been a morning meeting with Kakashi and the others this morning, but it had been nothing more than waiting a half an hour for Kakashi to show up and say that they had no missions today. On cue, they had all immediately split up before Naruto could even suggest they all train together instead- or at least talk for a little bit longer, just a few more minutes with his friends.

Why couldn't Sasuke be nice to him too?

"Naruto!"

He glanced up at the familiar voice, finally glancing up and seeing the part of town he was in. Naruto couldn't believe that he was next to his favorite ramen shop and hadn't even noticed, the smell stopping him dead in his tracks. Naruto stood there in the middle of the road like an idiot as a few villagers walked around him, finally locating that old Perverted Hermit waving at him from underneath the short curtains hanging over the doorway of the ramen shop. The old man already looked drunk even though it wasn't even dark yet, a red flush on his face and a horrible smell on his body when Naruto got closer.

"Sit down, Naruto, it's on me," Jiraiya laughed aloud, _definitely _drunk. He would never offer to pay otherwise. Naruto shrugged and was taking a seat by the taller man before he even really thought about it. All he heard was that there was free food.

It already seemed like the Perverted Hermit had been here a while, several empty plates in front of him along with three bottles of sake and that private gourd he carried around with him at all times. Naruto wasn't fooled when Jiraiya had said that it was just water. The old man was an incurable drunk and an outright pervert. Naruto wondered if Kakashi knew just who wrote his favorite books? He'd probably stop reading them then; Naruto glancing sideways at the old man hunched over the counter that had his wallet out in the open, resting on top of the worn wood surface carelessly. It was more than likely that someone would try to steal it, but Jiraiya would stop them before they got too far, no matter how drunk he was. Still, it was pretty careless of him.

"Hey, what can I get you?" the old man that owned the ramen shop cheerfully asked, smoothing down the front of his clean apron. The guy was always happy when he had a customer, and since Naruto was such a regular they got along pretty well. Naruto liked the old man and his much younger wife, especially since they hadn't ever once mentioned just what monster he held inside. At least, not to his face.

"Pork cutlet bowl!" Naruto ordered without even thinking, figuring that would be good enough for starters. If this was anything like eating with Iruka, Naruto could manage to weasel out a few extra bowls if he just waited. It had been a while since Naruto had eaten with the Perverted Hermit, and from what he remembered on their travels together, _he'd _been stuck with the check most of the time. Jiraiya had a nasty habit of walking off without paying, but this time he had said from the beginning that he would pay. Naruto could trust that at least, smiling as the old man went off to start cooking the meat for Naruto's order . . . and that smile slowly turning into a frown as he started thinking again.

"Naruto, is something bothering you?" Jiraiya asked immediately, picking up on his mood easily. The old man may have a healthy flush over his cheeks from the sake he had already put down, but he wasn't an idiot. Naruto really didn't want to talk about it, but he wasn't going to have many opportunities where someone would even like him, much less listen to his problems. It was Sasuke's fault for this whole mess in the first place, so Naruto didn't see why he had to feel so bad about this. Jiraiya seemed more interested in the leftover noodles from his bowl than whatever Naruto had to say anyway, so what would it matter if he started badmouthing Konoha's oh-so-precious, well-bred, and snotty as all hell genius.

"Well, Sasuke's being a jerk lately!" Naruto snapped out angrily. He didn't even understand what had happened himself. They had been doing so damn _well _too. Ever since Naruto had helped Sasuke with that cursed seal, it was like he had peeled back another layer from Sasuke's shields. Naruto had been let into Sasuke's life, deep enough to know that the other boy liked to take two showers a day, one in the morning and another at night- _especially_ after he messed around with Naruto. Sasuke also kept his apartment cleaner than the hospital, always making Naruto feel awkward when he came over. He just constantly felt like he was going to screw something up whenever he was with Sasuke . . . and he didn't ever have to worry that any accidents would go unnoticed.

It was like Sasuke was just sitting around waiting for him to do something wrong just so he could call Naruto on it. There was nothing that could make Sasuke happy these days. He wouldn't even laugh for Sakura any more when they hung out together, not even bothering to fake a tolerable mood any longer. Naruto could sense that Sasuke was trying to pull away ever since they had become more . . . intimate. Naruto had made the mistake of saying 'fucked' and found himself with a kunai to the throat, nothing more unpredictable than Sasuke's wounded pride.

Even so, it had been fine the first few times- in fact, _better _than fine. Naruto loved being that close to another person, feeling skin on skin and knowing that Sasuke didn't think of him as some Demon Fox. It had been the best time of his life, a rush more exciting than any fight, and it was all because of Sasuke. The only problem was that Sasuke didn't do well with the idea of 'partners' or having something that resembled friendship, much less lovers despite anything they did in the privacy of their apartments. He had been trying to silently avoid Naruto lately, and he could bet that it wouldn't be long before Sasuke was outright pushing him away. It didn't matter if they messed around or not, if Naruto got to kiss those soft lips or if they were shut tightly in a line of disapproval, but Sasuke was his first _friend_. Naruto didn't want to lose that relationship, no matter what happened.

He liked talking with Sasuke, even if most of the time it was just the black-haired boy grunting when Naruto paused between stories. Sasuke would tell him to shut up more often than not, but he would still wait until Naruto was done speaking. He got the feeling that nobody had just joked around or even dared to tease Sasuke, the legendary survivor of the Uchiha clan.

In some ways, Sasuke was even more isolated and unapproachable than Naruto was, bitterly harsh with anyone who tried to attach themselves to him. Sakura had to deal with it the most, always getting the cold shoulder from Sasuke despite doing her best to catch his eye. It hurt sometimes to see the girl he used to love flirt with his best friend . . . and Sasuke had already forbidden Naruto from telling anyone things were different now between them. But, if he waited long enough, when nobody was around to see, Sasuke would put his arm over Naruto's shoulders and smile. Still, it had been forever since the last time Sasuke had willingly been nice to him.

"Oh, the Uchiha kid?" Jiraiya asked like there was another Sasuke that Naruto hung out with, just _having _to bring up that clan name. He knew that there was no way they could ever have an 'equal' relationship. He was the Nine-Tails Demon Fox, the curse of the village, while Sasuke was an elite among the nobles. He had been born that way. Naruto was always trying to catch up with the depressingly dark boy, so skilled at being a ninja but outright _sucking _at being a friend. Sasuke was strong, there was no doubt about that, and he had mastered powerful techniques that were much more precise and efficient than any of the moves Naruto knew… but, for some reason, Sasuke didn't understand why Naruto would want to stay with him once a mission was over.

It was enough to make Naruto want to beat Sasuke's ass into next week- if he didn't know that was exactly what Sasuke wanted. People may not give him very much credit for being sensitive or attuned to other people's feelings, but Sasuke might as well write out his moods on his forehead for how he frowned and glared. Naruto could estimate how pissed off Sasuke was just by the number of wrinkles between his eyebrows, and there had been quite a lot this afternoon.

"That _idiot_, Sasuke? Yeah! He hasn't been talking to me ever since we…" Naruto began to explain the reason for this fight, hesitating as he actually thought about yelling this aloud in public. Even if Jiraiya was the last person who would start berating him about common decency, Naruto still wasn't quite comfortable talking about this.

Things had been normal, typical, all day long. They had met at the western bridge at ten in the morning, waited until around noontime for Kakashi to finally show up, give them a lame excuse, and then leave them to their own devices for the rest of the day. Naruto had followed Sasuke home like a stray, and they had eventually wound up on top of Sasuke's futon after a long argument about who was better at throwing shuriken.

Naruto had forgotten what point he had been trying to prove soon enough when the yelling turned into kissing. Sasuke hadn't, however, stubbornly continuing the fight after they were both naked and Naruto had _almost _drifted off into a nap with both arms wrapped around the other boy. He would have been content to just stay within touching distance of Sasuke, didn't even have to talk to appreciate the company of another person, especially one he liked as much as Sasuke… but he just _had _to fall in love with the most conceited, bitter, obstinate bastard Konoha had to offer. When Sasuke had brought up their scores back in the Academy just to run his superiority in Naruto's, actually _remembering _worthless little details like that, he'd finally gotten fed up. Naruto had stormed out of there with a few choice words he was beginning to regret, realizing how childish he'd been as well.

"Since you…?" Jiraiya prompted, pouring himself another cup of sake as he waited for the rest of the story. Naruto wished that the depraved old man hadn't stopped him tonight and forced him to start thinking about what had happened. Already, he was starting to feel like he should go back and apologize to Sasuke.

That was the horrible, sad part about their relationship- Sasuke always had the upper hand. Sasuke liked being alone, where Naruto just couldn't handle it any more. Especially not since Sasuke had made the mistake of paying him a little bit of attention. Ever since then, it would take nothing short of a fatal wound to keep him away from Sasuke. The paler boy had once threatened to call Naruto a stalker and get some Jounins to protect him, but he had yet to follow through. Still, Naruto was wise enough to be careful, sure that one day Sasuke really would flip on him. He certainly had tonight, so intent on being such a pain in the ass that Naruto couldn't stand to be in the other boy's presence for another second.

Now, he wanted nothing more than to run right back to Sasuke's apartment and beg to be let back in.

"Have you ever… Have you ever _really_ liked someone?" Naruto asked finally, ducking his gaze as he realized just was he was asking. He really was at the end of his rope, having no clue what to do with Sasuke or how to make him understand that he truly cared. He would do anything for Sasuke, would do his best to protect him from whatever haunted him, if only Sasuke would _tell _him what it was. Naruto had to guess most of it, piecing together Sasuke's history from what he had heard and seen. His older brother was someone that Naruto could live his whole life without ever meeting, and that Orochimaru freak needed a good punch right in the face. Naruto was more than prepared to kick ass whenever Sasuke was involved, not about to let anything worse happen to him than what had already gone on his hidden past.

"Huh?" Jiraiya drawled out, obviously too drunk to follow along with him immediately. The confused expression on his face was classic though, making Naruto relived that for once it was the other way around. One could get sick of always being left in the dark.

"Sasuke… Sasuke listens to me, but he doesn't say anything back," Naruto explained slowly. It was true. Sasuke would sit there silently, actually making eye contact with him instead of outright ignoring him like everybody else did. Sasuke took the time to nod and follow along with whatever Naruto wanted to say, even though half of the time he ended up bragging just to keep Sasuke's attention.

Naruto just didn't know how to act in front of others, suddenly faced with one-on-one conversations that seemed to fail miserably. Sasuke always ended up going back to his place before morning, never actually spending an entire night with him. Even when he stayed over at Sasuke's, the dark-haired boy would move away from him on the bed until they were no longer touching. Naruto always woke up alone. It was frustrating and tragic at the same time; Naruto unable to complain when Sasuke already did so much just by tolerating his presence beyond what was needed to accomplish a mission as a team.

"Naruto, do you mean that-…" the Perverted Hermit started, one eye more narrow than the other as the old man still grappled with what he was hearing.

"Sorry about the wait! Here's your pork cutlet bowl!" announced the shop owner, setting down a full serving in front of Naruto. He immediately grabbed a set of chopsticks out of the cup filled with them, giving thanks for the meal before digging in. This place was always the best. The noodles bordered on being too cooked, a little soft and a touch too hot- which was just the way Naruto liked it. There was a mix of vegetables as well as the thick pieces of pork floating around in the seasoned broth. Jiraiya ordered another bottle of sake and some fried octopus, proving his age all over again. Only old people would like something like that, Naruto more than happy slurping on his own bowl.

There was a drag of silence between them as Naruto concentrated on eating instead of worrying about his problems. The food was too good to be upset. The old man next him swirled the last cup of sake left in yet another bottle, as if he was tasting the liquor for the first time as he appreciated the sight and smell before drowning it all in one large gulp. Naruto sighed, waiting for Jiraiya to be finished until he tried talking again.

"I like Sasuke, but he doesn't seem to get it. We just end up fighting instead," Naruto grumbled, stabbing his chopsticks down intro the ramen and spinning them around angrily. How he'd like to stab the utensils into Sasuke's thick skull and wiggle them around until that damn Uchiha finally acted like a decent person. Naruto was so sick of it being _some _of the time, of waiting for the rare occasions when Sasuke was in a good mood. He could look so sweet and charming when he smiled- but Sasuke rarely let down his guard enough to allow such emotion to show on his face.

Naruto didn't understand how the guy could have so many fans when he could only make one expression- pissed off. Upset with the world and how his life had turned out, bitter and angry in general without needing a reason. Naruto would have gone crazy long before; if he didn't think he'd have to deal with more people just this Uchiha bastard when he became Hokage. Naruto was sure that there were more ninja that were the same Sasuke, the type to feel sorry himself and blame it on everyone else. That all-consuming depression was infectious, and if he wasn't careful, Sasuke could bring him down so fast that it could take days for Naruto to _really_ recover. He wouldn't be able to pretend that his feelings weren't hurt and nothing had happened for very much longer. Naruto was already hitting against the limit of his patience for Sasuke . . . even if Sasuke was one of the few people in the village that would actually talk to Naruto like he was a human being.

"Because one of you has to be better than the other?" the Perverted Hermit asked, obviously taking time in choosing his words but somehow still managing to be natural. Jiraiya was actually looking at him now, holding up a cup at the ready in case he would need to drink after Naruto's answers. He stared back at the old man, thinking about those words and realizing just how true they were.

"Yeah, _exactly!_" Naruto cried out in agreement, slamming his chopsticks down on the table. He was too angry to eat now. "He always has to win!" Naruto added, wanting to go right back to the jerk's apartment and kick his ass once and for all. There would be no question about who was better if Naruto made Sasuke eat dirt. He couldn't understand why Sasuke had to fixate on the strangest things to fight about, from throwing shuriken to who had cleaner hair. Naruto didn't even _think _about half the things that Sasuke was clearly so upset about, enough to observe and remember and eventually get bitter about it. Sasuke would be fine if he didn't have such a dark, poisonous loneliness inside. That was probably what Naruto didn't get about Sasuke the most. All the other boy had to do was walk down a street and he'd easily have half a dozen girls licking his heels. Everyone loved Sasuke, wanted to congratulate him on how well he had done during the Chuunin exam. Sasuke was the village's last remaining bit of respected and formerly powerful nobility, the Uchiha name enough to get Sasuke whatever he wanted. There were some days when Naruto had to sneak out his window because there had been some drunk, violent asshole waiting for him on the other side of his door. The difference in their lives was so obvious, and yet Sasuke suffered from the same agonizing solitude that Naruto had . . . except now he was with Sasuke most of the time, so there was no reason to think he was alone any more. Why couldn't Sasuke fucking see that as well! If Naruto didn't know any better, he'd say that Sasuke liked feeling so bad all the time. He could get so depressed and withdrawn that he wouldn't even move from mattress, sheets pulled over his head like a child. Some times, there were no jokes or insults that could get Sasuke moving, until Naruto had nothing left to do but sit there quietly along with the other boy- because that was better than being alone.

"Even in bed?" the old man asked slowly, carefully. Naruto didn't know if it was supposed to be a joke or not, but his mouth was already moving

"_Especially _there, except I- . . ." Naruto blurted before he realized what was coming out. Jiraya's mouth dropped, hands frozen above his bowl of ramen as they stared at each other. The old man's face was unreadable, though flushed from how much sake he must have already had tonight. Naruto felt a sweat break out on his forehead and didn't dare wipe it away. He couldn't stop looking at the other man, worried that the infamous, lecherous author would actually have some scruples against a gay couple. He hadn't ever had a conversation about it before, but it had never been such a problem, until now.

"Do you _like_ Sasuke? As more than a friend?" a certain bit of serious inflection entering his voice. Jiraiya may write his own dirty novels, but there was always a man and a woman on the cover. He had never asked what the old man thought about same-sex couples. It had never been important before. Now, Naruto was waiting for one of the few people who even recognized his existence to say something, to pass judgement. He was scared, ice growing on the bottom of his stomach as Perverted Hermit waited silently for an answer, like he was enjoying stretching out the awkwardness. He was _never _quiet, especially not after drinking! Naruto suddenly found himself struggling just to keep what little ramen he'd had down in his stomach, bile rising in his throat as the old man kept staring at him like he truly was a monster.

"Hmm? What's that face for?" Jiraiya demanded, finally noticing Naruto's discomfort. "I'm just worried you two are a little young to be fooling around like that."

He sighed so loudly that his whole body seemed to fall down. It was just about age, not that Jiraiya was actually thinking badly of him. The Perverted Hermit just raised an eyebrow and cautiously resumed his meal without looking away from him, obviously waiting for the full story. Naruto shrugged, pausing to slurp down some noodles and buy himself some time. What had happened between him and Sasuke had just . . . happened. They had already killed people before on missions, so why would having sex be such a big deal?

"Well, how young were _you _when you did it for the first time?" Naruto snapped right back, hoping to divert attention from himself.

Surprisingly enough, that was what finally got a reaction out of the old man as he choked on his sake and got stuck in a coughing fit. He was blushing in a way that had nothing to do with the alcohol, way, way, _waaaaay _over fifty years old and still embarrassed about it. Naruto blinked, surprised at what he had been able to do as Jiraiya picked up a napkin to wipe his face clean. He mumbled something about Naruto not being interested in such stories, but the Perverted Hermit was obviously thinking back to that time- whenever it had been for the old man.

* * *

"Stupid bitch! When I get free, I'm going to finally teach you a real lesson!" Jiraiya yelled at Tsunade's back, kicking his legs in the air in outrage. He was lashed to the wooden post from shoulder to waist, unable to break the ropes or move the pole he was restrained to. Damn Konoha traditions; this was fucking abuse! One stupid training session after another, absolutely no real situations where Jiraiya's genius could be applied. Their team of three had been ordered to grab two bells from their professor; whoever didn't manage to get one wouldn't be allowed lunch. Jiraya was still in the middle of his growth spurt! He couldn't afford to miss a single meal . . . and in his zealousness had been hit in the head twice before waking up tied up like this. They had all gathered at the edge of the clearing where there were several posts dug into the ground. This was usually meant as training ground for the Taijutsu-users, with plenty of open space and targets to practice moves on. Now, it was being used as a torture field while Tsunade held up two bells and all three of the box lunches she'd won, the sneaky little vixen.

"I'd watch your mouth, you freakin' mutt! I'm _definitely _not helping you now," she swore very seriously, her pigtails whipping around her back as she tossed her head angrily. Despite being just as young as them, she had already begun to show signs of puberty- hips and breasts that Jiraiya could actually notice. In a few more months, they might be curvy enough to actually appreciate. Until then, she was just another foul-mouthed girl with too much attitude. Jiraiya didn't know why he had to be teamed up with a brat like her and another boy that was so thin and pretty he could hardly be counted as one. Orochimaru was a stick of white in a plain yukata that contrasted hard with the other boy's arrogance, standing back and obviously entertained at the scene. His skin was barely a shade darker than milk with stark black hair, the only bit of color on him in those strange and golden reptilian eyes. It was hard to glance back and forth between the other two, Tsunade's own pink tank top, matching shoes, and loose, soft green pants getting unbearably brighter every time. She had the nerve to show her skinny little girl waist after pulling that winning antic, making Jiraiya hate her more.

"You only got those because you cheated, damn it!" Jiraiya roared, renewing his struggles to break the ropes so he could knock some sense into Tsunade. Orochimaru made a noise of agreement, the first thing he'd said since this argument had started.

"'Cheated!' I only used what I had!" Tsunade snapped right back, even though she had a definite blush covering her cheeks. Jiraiya wasn't surprised after the little bitch had actually managed to get close enough to Sarutobi to land a hit . . . and flashed the old man instead, dropping him hard with blood coming from his nose. Even Orochimaru had looked shocked and more than a little upset that Tsunade could win just because she had boobs. Their teacher was a hopeless pervert, but it wasn't like they had anything that could get that kind of reaction. Tsunade had taken the bells before Jiraiya could even try to steal them, so he settled with rummaging through his teacher's pockets instead. A ninja's reactions upon waking from his lecherous stupor were uncanny, but Jiraiya didn't think he should be the only one to get hit and tied up.

"Amazing you could do anything with those flat, pink mosquito bites on your chest," he grumbled out darkly, having been forced to see whether he wanted to or not and being sorely disappointed in spite of it all.

Tsunade's shoulders twitched, a strange kind of smile spreading over her face as she ducked her head down, eyes hidden by the fall of her bangs. Orochimaru was already sliding backwards through the grass, silently distancing himself like the snake he was. Jiraiya couldn't even budge as she approached, already able to figure that his insult hadn't really been worth it in the end.

One small, pink shoe was able to do incredible damage as she kicked him hard right in the groin.

Jiraiya couldn't even fall to the ground, coughing and blind with the pain as Tsunade walked off to have her lunch alone. The bitch was the only one who had anything to eat in the end anyway. The ropes dug into his stomach as he coughed and wheezed pathetically, left to die without so much as a second glance back. For a brief moment of panic, Jiraiya wondered if he would even be able to have kids now. It certainly felt like she had broken something as Jiraiya pressed his knees together in an attempt to ease the aching throb between his legs.

"Are you okay?" Orochimaru's soft question was even more unexpected than Tsunade's kick, since the bastard rarely cared about anything that didn't directly concern him. The boy had managed to sneak back up beside him without a sound, just as quickly as he had left when Tsunade had been attacking him. Jiraiya could only make an agonized, wheezing noise for an answer, shaking his head in an obvious negative. Orochimaru just arched a thin eyebrow; the skin underneath smeared with purple mascara. Even Tsunade wasn't old enough to be wearing make-up, but Orochimaru did it with pride. He liked bringing out that sinister side, a shockingly wickedpersonality underneath it all. That's why it made even less sense for him to be giving a damn right now.

"Maybe I should take a look," Orochimaru announced, more like he was talking to himself as slitted eyes went down to his groin in a pointed manner.

"No, no, I'm . . . I'm okay, honest," Jiraiya forced out, though it was now because he was uncomfortable instead of in any real pain. He just didn't like the look that had started to grow in Orochimaru's eyes. He had some sort of plan going on, and that could _never _mean good things. The thinner boy obviously ignoring him, bending down to peer closer at the incredibly personal area as Jiraiya fidgeted without any results. Damn Sarutobi for being able to make the knots so tight in the rope!

"She kicked you pretty hard," Orochimaru argued, always able to beat Jiraiya when it came to rationalizing and discussion. If Jiraiya just had one arm free, he could have easily punched the little serpent freak into next week- but he had been tied up too well to break free. Orochimaru knelt all the way to the grass, taking the time to brush his yukata back into order like a spoiled prince as he settled down exactly eye-level with Jiraiya's crotch.

"Just untie me, damn it!" Jiraiya screeched as he kicked out, meaning to strike Orochimaru right in the middle of his big, fat head. Instead, the pale and slender boy slammed two hands down on the top of his knees. Even though he was skinnier than Tsunade, Orochimaru possessed a ridiculous strength and speed as well. He had given Jiraiya some trouble before during mock combat, but eventually brute strength won out over all. The same theory didn't really apply when he was immobilized from the waist up, stuck in one spot.

"Stay still. What if something is damaged?" Orochimaru countered while he began pulling down Jiraiya's pants.

"'Damaged' my ass! I'll find that out on my . . . own," Jiraiya's perfectly good rant ended in a squeak as fresh summer air hit his genitals. His own clothing was used against him as Orochimaru looped one hand underneath his pants and over a leg. The other one was trapped between Orochimaru's own, straddling Jiraiya hard with long, black hair tickling his thighs. He couldn't see the other boy's face, but from this angle he looked so much like a girl it was unbearable. Orochimaru was more feminine than that beast Tsunade could ever imagine of being, and he wasn't even trying.

"It looks a little red," he assessed quietly. Jiraiya wasn't sure if Orochimaru was talking about his penis or his face, blushing so hard that steam must have been coming from his ears. How could he be so calm about this? It was one thing to see another boy in the bathroom or before they had to change for a mission, it was something _entirely _fucking different when he was the only one with his pants down. He bit his lip, humiliated and horrified . . . and slightly turned on despite it all. Damn Orochimaru for taking advantage of young hormones that Jiraiya had absolutely no control over yet. He had kissed and hugged a few girls, had managed to sneak a few peeks into the women's side of the public baths, but none of them had been so daring as to remove a single article of clothing. Orochimaru was completely the opposite, so removed that Jiraiya couldn't even be sure if he really cared as dry, snakeskin fingers touched dangling flesh.

He'd been on the verge of becoming aroused, mostly able to fight it off because he'd been too stunned. Now, he was losing even the sense to argue as Orochimaru examined him, hand tugging and squeezing like he was just some stupid animal . . . and Jiraiya was, heat exploding in his gut and shooting down to his formerly aching balls. Orochimaru definitely wasn't just checking him for injury, but fondling him hard, fingers massaging out all the pain and turning it into shocking little jolts of pleasure.

"Does that help?" Orochimaru asked smartly as Jiraiya's cock began to grow hard, wanting the obvious stated. His mouth wasn't working properly, not even if Jiraiya had been coherent enough to keep fighting. His hips were already started to twitch forward, instincts taking over when his brain couldn't figure out just what the hell was going on. Was this some sort of payback for always beating Orochimaru during their training? Either he had some sort of grudge against Jiraiya or was _really _coming on to him. Orochimaru had never shown any sort of interest in him- in fucking _anything_, for a matter of fact. He was about as disrespectful and haughty as they came, and had made it clear before that he wasn't fond of Jiraiya's rash behavior or lack of any real plans in life. He only wanted to get stronger; not get tied to posts, kicked by girls, and felt up by his teammate.

"Orochi- . . ." Jiraiya started to protest again, but he could only get out the first half of the name before the other boy experimentally licked the twitching head of his erection. Jiraiya's fingers dug in hard to the wood post behind him, splinters driving into his skin and under nails, but he barely even felt it. It was like everything had shut down except the direct connection between his brain and his dick. Orochimaru's tongue was warm, wet, and surprisingly long as he ran it along Jiraiya's entire length, pausing underneath his bellybutton.

Jiraiya's breath caught, feeling like he was going to explode any minute and knowing that Orochimaru was probably getting some kind of sick pleasure out of this all. He was planning something; he always was. The only trouble was figuring out just what the fuck it might be! Jiraiya had been completely lost _long _ago, concentrating on controlling his breathing and not exploding right in Orochimaru's face. The other boy had no idea what sort of monster he was calling life as he kneaded heated flesh with a solid and sure grip, arousing Jiraiya to the point of tears. He wished his hands were free, no longer so he could smack Orochimaru a good one for daring to take advantage of him like this, but to hold him there in case he got the idea of backing off.

Orochimaru chuckled once at the reaction he was causing before his mouth swallowed Jiraiya whole, like he was an old expert at this. He wasn't uncomfortable at all; nose buried into Jiraiya's pubic hair, and a faint purring noise audible above his own protesting moans. Orochimaru's mouth and throat provided a warm, wet oblivion to thrust into, only seemed to grow larger and softer every time. It was completely insane, but he didn't really give a damn. He was past restraint and common sense, moaning wantonly, arching back with the sensation. He was making noises that would embarrass even Tsunade, but it only seemed to encourage Orochimaru to move faster.

He was _much _better at this than he should be, forcing Jiraiya onto the point of insanity. It just wasn't fair; the ropes creaking with the strain as Jiraiya struggled with the sensation of Orochimaru working his mouth up and down, over and over. By all standards, he should have died from over-stimulation quite a while ago. Jiraiya found himself staring up at the sky instead, finally noticing how damn blue it was as Orochimaru sucked and licked and touched . . . Since when had his hand gotten so warm and soft, his tongue nothing but slick velvet greedily running along sensitive skin?

Years later, when asked by annoying little runts of apprentices and a few choice drinking-buddies, Jiraiya would insist that it had lasted much longer than it did.

But, as it was, he had come with a mortifyingly loud cry right into Orochimaru's mouth, like a dog that couldn't keep itself from humping the furniture. What made it worse were the sloppy noises Orochimaru kept on making afterward, making sure to lick up every last drop after sucking him completely dry. Jiraiya was still doing his best just to remember his name, legs shuddering helplessly while Orochimaru surveyed his work with smug satisfaction. No smart comments came to mind, only Jiraiya's hissing breath between clenched teeth as he sagged down with the bone-deep weariness of a good orgasm. Granted there had been very few, the majority of them delivered by his own right hand, but this one had trumped them all. Orochimaru was smiling as though he knew it too, slowly releasing Jiraiya from his awkward but effective hold.

"Now . . . how should I leave you?" Orochimaru asked aloud, settling back onto his ankles with one hand pressed to his chin like he was in some sort of philosophical debate with himself. Jiraiya still had his hands lashed down to the post at his back and his pants dropped down over his shoes. He couldn't do anything in this situation- except beg for mercy.

"You wouldn't!" Jiraiya cried out, praying that Orochimaru wouldn't be so heartless. The asshole had already abandoned him when Tsunade had been trying to send him into the next world. There wasn't even a logical explanation for the sudden change in attitude; not that Jiraiya didn't appreciate it. The fact that he was tied up with his dick still wet from Orochimaru's mouth was another matter entirely. Tsunade and Sarutobi could come back at any minute, and neither of them was the type to handle this sort of scene with delicacy. If they found the two of them like this, Jiraiya wouldn't ever hear the end of it.

"Orochimaru! If you don't pull my pants up, I'll . . . I'll _never _return the favor!" Jiraiya swore, throwing out the only threat he could think of at the time. Again, Orochimaru made one elegant eyebrow curve up at the threat, clearly not impressed. Jiraiya moved his leg at last, meaning to kick the boy down while he was unguarded, but Orochimaru managed to catch his leg with uncanny reflexes without breaking his gaze from Jiraiya's own once.

"Ever?" Orochimaru asked with a smirk that told him the other boy knew very well just how hollow that threat was.

Amazing how that one little question could excite him all over again.

* * *

"So?" Naruto asked with some impatience when Jiraiya stayed silent for too long. The Perverted Old Hermit refused to answer him, concentrating on finishing off all of his sake in one solid gulp. Naruto grumbled at being treated like a child as he hunched his shoulder down and stared into his ramen. He was half-hoping the old man would tell him how his first time had gone, no matter if it had been with a girl or not, so Naruto could hopefully take some hints from it. The man had written several books on the subject after all. Naruto didn't know what else to do. Sasuke was becoming more and more distant, and Naruto couldn't remember how many days it had been since he had last been allowed to hug the other boy.

"I'll tell you that story another time, okay, Naruto?" Jiraiya snapped impatiently, forgetting to mention that it could be a few days or a few weeks before he saw the man next. It wasn't even like Jiraiya _did _anything besides being a lecherous old man, but he somehow managed to keep busy.

"But, what am I supposed to do about Sasuke _now_?" Naruto asked desperately. Jiraiya glanced down at him in surprise, finally realizing that Naruto could care less about Jiraiya's sex life, whatever it may have been. He needed advice, and he didn't care whom he got it from. Naruto was just at the end of his rope, hanging on miserably until Sasuke cut all ties off at last. It was painful to think about but Naruto didn't foresee anything else happening unless he did something drastic. Sasuke was impatient at best, so Naruto had to figure out what he was doing wrong quick. It didn't even occur to him that the Uchiha descendent could just quite be _impossible _to please.

"The only thing that I've ever regretted was not being honest. Trust me, Naruto, after you've had a few more relationships you'll understand that sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, because you're still going to be in trouble. If you at least stay true to yourself, than there's nothing to worry about."

It was probably the best opinion anyone had ever shared with him. Naruto gaped at the Perverted Hermit, more shocked that the old man had actually been able to say something so profound. He was right- except for the part about Naruto needing to be in other relationships. He'd been lucky enough to get Sasuke- harder still to find more people who might tolerate the presence of the Demon Fox child. The only problem was that Sasuke didn't believe in things like 'friendship' or 'love.' He viewed them more as physical afflictions than emotions. It didn't even really make sense for such complete opposites like them to be together, but somehow they had always managed to work before. It was only lately that the harder Naruto worked to finally be complimented by Sasuke, the more the other boy would to tear into him for mistakes that Naruto didn't even know he'd made.

"Besides, if you just nod your head and agree, the better the odds are for a little make-up sex," Jiraiya offered, pointing and winking Naruto significantly.

He felt the blush take him from toes to hairline, steam exploding out his ears as Jiraiya just chuckled at the damage he could cause. Hadn't the old man been lecturing him about it only a few seconds ago! Adults were such hopeless hypocrites! Naruto was left with no other choice but to walk away from the Perverted Hermit, needing some time alone to think.

At least there was one certainty in his life; some people veering all the way over the opposite side of the street just to avoid him. All he had to do was just not try and everyone would leave him alone.

_Always _alone.

It was a slow walk home; his feet dragging pathetically along the ground as he thought hard about all the mistakes he had made with Sasuke. There had to be reasons why Sasuke hated him so much, things that Naruto had done wrong. As much as the Perverted Hermit had tried to cheer him up, he couldn't get rid of the honest truth. Naruto annoyed Sasuke. He wasn't worth the Uchiha's time. He was just some stray, parentless child with a monster sealed inside his stomach. Sasuke was the last remaining member of Konoha nobility, a true genius that certainly didn't have the time for a dropout like him.

He went to sleep like that, barely evening having the free will to change his clothes before bed. He just stared at the wall, remembering how many times Sasuke had called him an idiot, before exhaustion finally overtook him.

Naruto didn't expect the knocking on his door . . . well, what turned into heavy pounding when it took Naruto a moment to wake up and realize someone was really visiting him. He managed to untangle himself from the warm bedsheets holding him back, stumbling against the wall and to the entrance in a blurry haze.

He didn't have to look at a clock to know that it was too damn late at night for any decent guest to come calling. He could only hope that it wasn't the drunkard from downstairs that would come up just to harass him for being alive. Over the years Naruto had finally gotten fed up and simply punched the bastards' lights out, effectively ending the rages. He was too tired to deal with that sort of crap right now, unlocking the door with a heavy sigh.

He opened it to the last person he would have expected. Sasuke already had both hands in his pockets instead of trying to beat his door down, looking sideways over at the empty balcony as if he didn't even mean to be here. Naruto couldn't say anything, staring at the other boy in complete shock. Uchiha Sasuke _never _came to his side of town unless forced to. Naruto couldn't imagine what would have brought Sasuke here, about to ask why- . . .

"Do you think you're stronger than me?" Sasuke demanded in a dead, soft voice, not even bothering to look in Naruto's general direction while asking the question.

"What?" Naruto didn't understand if this was supposed to be a joke or something. Sasuke blinked over at him slowly, a visible shudder going through his shoulders. Naruto didn't know what his problem could be, not when he looked so good even though it was way past midnight. Sasuke had taken to wearing black lately, probably trying to be somber and dull but only looking more handsome for it all. The stupid jerk didn't even _care _about his pretty face, unable to understand why the girls were always flocking around him. He lacked a sense about those things, especially when it came down comprehending other people's feelings . . . like his.

Naruto had enough time to rub at his exhausted eyes before Sasuke kicked him in the middle of the stomach, sending him into the door with a resounding thud. He stumbled and managed to slap a hand against the wall, somehow regaining his balance. The only problem was that Sasuke was already moving, slamming his fist into the side of his face and backhanding Naruto in the same motion. It was enough to make his nose bleed, his fingers wet with red snot when Naruto smeared his hand underneath his mouth.

This was definitely the rudest fucking awakening he'd had in years.

"What the _hell_ are you doing!" Naruto screamed as the door slammed shut behind his teammate. Sasuke seemed to fill up the hallway, the usual darkness of night becoming thicker and more ominous just because he was there. Sasuke had that sort of presence, an attitude that would send some children running off screaming when the Uchiha glared at them. Naruto had been around Sasuke long enough to know just how cruel the other boy could be. Sasuke had just never been so openly violent with him before- at least outside the mock duels Kakashi had to constantly split up when things got too serious. Right now, there was no reason, no emotion in Sasuke's dark, black eyes. Naruto had a hard time not flinching when Sasuke advanced on him, straightening up his back instead and glaring Sasuke square in the eyes.

"You think you're better somehow?" Sasuke demanded, obviously not pleased with the damage he had already caused and that Naruto could recover so easily. He raised his fist up again, but Naruto was now awake enough to slide into a defensive stance; more than ready if Sasuke dared to hit him again. Sasuke tisked at the change in body language, like he hadn't expected Naruto to fight back when he was being beaten for no damn good reason.

"Sasuke, I don't know what you're talking about!" Naruto pleaded with Sasuke to stop being so fucking ridiculous. He hated when they fought, arguing and bickering simply because Sasuke didn't have the capacity in his heart to trust other people. Even though Naruto was _sure _he was closer to Sasuke than anyone else in the entire village, the boy still didn't have the slightest amount of faith in him. Sasuke assumed everyone was going to betray him, or die and leave him alone again. Naruto could glean that much from the murmurs Sasuke made when he was in the throes of a nightmare, or on the even rarer occasions when he actually told someone else how he was really feeling on the inside.

"I _know _you secretly train after all our missions and team meetings! Did you really believe I wouldn't notice?" Sasuke hissed out bitterly, stepping forward and invading Naruto's personal space in an instant. He was _almost _close enough to be touching Naruto, and yet managed to hold himself back. It only made things worse as the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck bristled, preparing for an attack. He couldn't understand why Sasuke was being so violent right now, why the fact that Naruto practiced ninja techniques every possible moment of the day would piss him off so.

Since when had Sasuke found out, anyway? Naruto had long since made a habit of using the time between the missions their three-man team was given. Training in the woods at the edge of the village until pure physical exhaustion stopped him was something he had turned into a routine long ago. Anything was better than sitting alone in his apartment, listening to people outside the window- ones that had lives worth living. Naruto had managed to salvage together a real dream, had finally started walking down that path to becoming Hokage. But, he was still just a Genin in Team Seven; -always up-shown by Sasuke or outsmarted by Sakura. He wasn't smart or special, beyond his ability to irritate even the most serene and composed personality. Naruto was just a lower-level ninja who had the dumb fucking luck of being born the vessel of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox.

"I'm not trying to be better than you. I'm trying to keep up. We're supposed to rivals, right?" Naruto tried for honesty, looking at Sasuke in the hope that the other boy would just be able to understand him. He had never once admitted to being better than Sasuke, though it wasn't for lack of trying. Naruto was always struggling against his reputation as a dropout and screw-up, only looking for someone to actually recognize his skills as a ninja. He _was _truly lucky to be teamed up with the genius like Sasuke; able to observe amazing techniques one after the other while the boy single-handedly finished missions that should have taken all of their combined effort. Kakashi was always praising Sasuke, encouraging Sakura, and yelling at Naruto. No matter how hard he tried; he just couldn't seem to surpass Sasuke in Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, or even outright yelling matches.

"'_Rivals_?' Don't give me that shit. _You. Are. Below. Me," _Sasuke hissed out, managing to stab right through Naruto with every word. It was always surprising when Sasuke was such an absolute bastard- not because the attitude was unexpected, but shock at how utterly inhuman and cold Sasuke could be. If Naruto hadn't seen it before, he wouldn't have believed Sasuke was even capable of shedding tears. It was like Sasuke had come over tonight just to see how much it took to make Naruto cry. He'd be _damned_ if he was going to take this sort of abuse in the front door of his apartment.

Naruto swung at Sasuke with all of his strength, depending on surprise to land a heavy blow to Sasuke's side. He just grunted and took it, throwing an elbow down against the back of Naruto's neck instead. He lost his balance, flying face-first into Sasuke's knee.

There was a moment of blinding-white shock before Naruto hit the floor . . . blinking and dazed by how terribly _wrong _things were going. His nose was starting to bleed. Sasuke just smiled in a twisted manner, his eyes not matching the quivering line his lips were making.

"See? I could kick your ass any time I wanted to," he sneered, wiping at his face with the back of his hand. Naruto began to take in the washed-out pallor of Sasuke's skin, the blue and purple streaks underneath his distant and ice-hard gaze. He could tell that Sasuke hadn't been sleeping, was stressed and in 'fight-mode,' was deeply disturbed by something he would never tell Naruto about.

Sasuke wasn't like that. Everything that really hurt him was kept on the inside, far away from anyone else. He might not ever talk to Naruto about what was going on, but at least he was coming over to take out his frustration. That was good enough for Naruto, when he was used to be utterly and completely ignored.

"Fine, go ahead. Hit me until you're satisfied," Naruto offered, rolling onto his back to his expose his stomach. He didn't say it to be cocky, or in a sarcastic manner that Sasuke was so fond of using. He was just being honest. Naruto didn't really cared what happened to his body. All pains healed soon enough, or he would just learn to adjust. If it would somehow help Sasuke deal with whatever crisis he was going through right now, then all the more reason to let Sasuke beat up on him. At least he could be useful for once.

There was a thick, solid silence as Sasuke's face twisted up between severe depression or rage . . . one expression was what Sasuke was really feeling, while the other was the tough front the dark-haired boy put up all the time. The only problem was that Naruto couldn't figure out which one was the truth. He could only lie there as Sasuke grabbed at the back of neck hard enough to make his fingers red when he pulled them away.

"You _don't _understand! You never understand anything, Naruto!" Sasuke screamed out like he was the one being assaulted, kicking the door shut behind it. The echoing slam made Naruto start despite himself, his heart beating panicky in his ears. He could feel Sasuke's irritation like a living thin in the air, pressing down against him with all intention to kill. Naruto had felt this sort of bloodlust before from other Shinobi, ones that were after his life or capture just because of some monster sealed inside his belly. Even so, no matter how serious their fights had gotten, Sasuke had never given off this kind of pure _hatred_.

Naruto had no doubt in his mind that if he even so much as moved wrong, Sasuke would slit his throat open.

What was even scarier was that a small part of him thought it would be all right . . . since it was Sasuke, after all. The first person to ever accept his existence, to recognize him as another person. Naruto had always thought it was because they were basically the same on the inside . . . wretchedly, terribly alone.

Sasuke dropped down on top of his chest, simply not heavy enough to make it anything more than uncomfortable. It was the two knees digging into the inside of Naruto's elbows that hurt, efficiently pinning him down. It wasn't like Naruto was even giving up a fight, didn't even make a sound when Sasuke struck him across the face- so hard that he couldn't even tell if it was a slap or a fist.

Another hit followed, this time definitely a punch. Naruto could feel the knuckles grazing up against his cheek. They were already wet, open red wounds from the skin being torn back. Sasuke had already been hitting at walls or something equally hard, not caring of the damage it caused to his hands.

Now, he was using those same fists to strike at Naruto repeatedly, obviously beyond feeling the pain he was inflicting upon himself. Sasuke was grunting, louder with each hit he landed while Naruto just stared up at the other boy silently . . . at his dark, fathomless eyes and loose black hair . . . Naruto finally noticed that Sasuke wasn't wearing his forehead protector to hold his hair up like usual. Sasuke looked nice like this, actually being honest for once. Even if it was to just strike out at his closest friend, Sasuke was finally showing his real emotions. Naruto was so sick and lonely that he didn't really care, each punch beginning to feel like a kiss. This was something that Sasuke wouldn't do to Sakura. This was unique, just between them.

A fist paused in the air, the arm holding it up shaking hard. Naruto blinked up at Sasuke through the burning, swelling bruising that was already coming in on his face, unable to understand why the other boy had stopped. Wasn't this making him feel better? Naruto would let Sasuke hit at him until he actually ended up dead. He wouldn't mind it, if he could bring Sasuke out of the depression that had fallen upon him

"Damn it! Why won't you hit me!" Sasuke bit out, sagging down hard as the violence left him for a moment. He slid off Naruto's arms, breaking in half until Sasuke's forehead hit his chest. Naruto was motionless, looking down at Sasuke as the other boy hunched over him . . . his hitched breathing signaling that he might be ready to cry.

Naruto couldn't understand a single bit of this mess. He didn't know what Sasuke was thinking, feeling, or even why he was doing all of this. Some kind of internal wound had busted open and there didn't seem an easy way to fix it. Sasuke hadn't been this bad since the first weeks after the cursed seal had first appeared on his neck. Even so, throughout Sasuke's worst depressions and unpredictable rages, he'd still been the best friend Naruto had ever managed to have. Sasuke was the only person that actually shown him affection- could turn into this soft, vulnerable thing melting on top of him.

It was all completely senseless, but Naruto didn't really care if Sasuke had a reason or not. It was more than enough that he'd come over of his own free will. Naruto just had to ignore everything that had followed after he'd opened the door. This unreasonable, erratic, and downright insane side of the Uchiha was just a sharp edge to his charm. One had to look past the terrible person Sasuke could be at times and see the gentle, shy person that just needed someone to weather through all the bullshit. Someone that would allow Sasuke to hit at all he wanted without complaining.

It was so damn simple that even someone like Naruto could do it. For one moment, he actually felt special. He couldn't stop from reaching out, even though his elbows burned in protest, and putting a hand on top of Sasuke's soft, silky black hair.

"I love you," Naruto whispered it; not even realizing how damaged his own jaw was until he moved his mouth. They both were still for a moment, aching with different kinds of pain, not quite holding onto each other . . . but the small contact was enough to bring tears to both their eyes.

Sasuke screamed out wordlessly, like Naruto had managed to plunge a blade into his guts. He knocked off Naruto's hand with a violent jerk, as if he couldn't even stand to be in the same room with him . . . but stayed there on Naruto's stomach, knees on either side of him, head bent back as he stared up at the roof. It was like everything in the entire world had abandoned Sasuke, leaving nothing but a cold, dark shell of a person. One that Naruto loved so badly it hurt . . . not like the bruises Sasuke's blows would leave on his body, but on the inside. A clenching, icy feeling that took away rational thought. All he knew was that he didn't want to be alone.

Naruto glanced up into Sasuke's black, bottomless eyes- all emotion tucked away so tightly that no one could guess what the Uchiha might be thinking. Naruto closed his eyes, not sure if he wanted to know what would happen. He only wanted Sasuke to accept him, always ready to do anything for the other boy.

The next moment, Sasuke was kissing him, violently, desperately . . . his teeth managing to find Naruto's lower lip and bite down hard. He tasted blood; Naruto was sure that the both of them did. The kiss simply deepened, pushing Naruto's skull down against the floor as Sasuke tried to dominate him their mouths alone. Naruto almost choked on Sasuke's tongue as it shoved against the back of his throat, his body jerking instinctively before he could stop it. One of his hands managed to find Sasuke's shirt, making a fist and tugging him closer.

Naruto didn't _care _about the pain Sasuke was causing. It was just a price that came along with Sasuke finally expressing his love. He couldn't be any closer to the usually solitary Uchiha than he was now. Naruto didn't need pretty words or any kind of foreplay, completely ready to be whatever Sasuke needed. His pajamas were unsteadily jerked over his knees, bunching around his ankles and too much trouble to worry about any further. Sasuke's other hand found one of Naruto's, sliding up his wrist, his palm, and finally knotting their fingers together in a parody of intimacy.

"How do _you _like it when someone crawls all over you? When they destroy all the trust you had in them?" he hissed out, teeth fastening down on his shoulder. This time, Sasuke bit down hard into the muscle like he was trying to take a chunk out, blood flowing freely once again. Naruto couldn't help grunting at the pain, his first audible complaint since Sasuke had gotten serious. Ice-cold fingers found his hip, distracting Naruto as they slid down . . . and clenched around his penis hard, without any thought or finesse.

Naruto let out his own cry then, arching up against the floor in an instinctive, pathetic attempt to get away. When things hurt, a body couldn't help but struggling. Sasuke just pressed his slightly smaller body down over Naruto's own, still yanking at his dick like he meant to take it off. This wasn't romantic, going a bit beyond what Naruto had foolishly guessed Sasuke might be planning to do.

This was all about domination. Naruto had already given up the moment he'd let Sasuke in. He was going to be the victim tonight, at least physically. Emotionally, it was like Sasuke had lost long ago; so much pent-up rage and anguish taking over- easily turning Sasuke into a cold monster that didn't care about his own friends or comrades. Sometimes it was like the dark-haired boy had forgotten the meaning of the words. Naruto had already tried understanding it, talking aloud and telling Sasuke how he really felt; and that had always made things worse without fail.

Sasuke didn't need words. He didn't want them and the hollow meaning related to the sounds that poured out from their lips. The only thing left was to _show _Sasuke that he was serious. Naruto sucked on the cut Sasuke had given his lip, steadying himself for what was going to happen. The taste of blood in his mouth helped him calm down. He wasn't _that _much of an idiot. He had threatened plenty of times by his neighbors- saying dirty things like 'pounding his ass' or 'raping him until guts spilled out.' He would always be hated as the vessel of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox that had killed so many, nearly destroying Konoha before it was sealed away.

Inside him.

Numbness overwhelmed him . . . that same sort of terrible, echoing darkness that he used to run to when he was just a child. There had been no reason to lately, when he had finally managed to make such good friends. He didn't feel like he had to hide away somewhere, cursing the very fact that he'd even been born. When everyone else hated him so much, it was hard to find the smallest shred of confidence. He'd finally gotten old enough to realize that nothing was going to change unless _he _made them- slowly able to laugh it all off and smile through the worst of the insults.

It had been so long since he'd fallen back into that hazy fog he used to protect himself when nobody else would. Naruto just never thought that he might have to use it against Sasuke. His eyes managed to fix on a spot on the ceiling as Sasuke finally managed to get his pajamas all the way off. His legs were yanked open, forced around either side of Sasuke. Naruto could have struggled away if he really wanted too, his hands free to hit back at Sasuke if he wanted too. Instead, he just grabbed onto the floor in silent submission. He was too scared to try touching Sasuke right now, not know what might set the Uchiha off next.

Nothing was happening.

Naruto stared straight up, completely still while he waited for Sasuke to do his worse. Eventually, weak pants turned into distressed grunts . . . Naruto slowly realizing that Sasuke wasn't turned on by this. He may have already gotten Naruto sprawled out naked in front of him, but the other boy was struggling just to get a hard-on. One glance down proved that Sasuke was beating away at his own dick, trying to turn it into something he could use against him.

Sasuke's eyes were clenched shut; lips pulling back to show gritted teeth. There was sweat forming at his temples and rolling down the side of his face, making loose hairs sticking to his skin. Naruto had never seen Sasuke look so _real _before, actually alive with some sort of emotion beyond his usual 'I have one mission- I am an avenger' mindset . . . The one that didn't think anything of hitting his friends or killing any enemies that stood in the way. Naruto finally had proof that Sasuke thought he was special. Who else would he actually spend the effort necessary for beating a human being to death, instead of just finishing it off quickly?

"You're so pr- . . ." Naruto started, meaning compliment Sasuke again in a way that wouldn't offend him.

A hand clenched around his throat shut off the rest of his sentence along with all his breath, a nauseating tightness filling his lungs.

"Shut up, Naruto. Just shut up," Sasuke demanded, not releasing his hold in the slightest. The sight of Naruto gagging and beginning to pathetically squirm in a instinctive attempt to find fresh air must have finally aroused Sasuke, because he felt something warm and wet beginning to prod at the divot between his butt cheeks . . . awkwardly finding and opening before slamming in as hard as possible.

Naruto couldn't cry out like he wanted to, vision going gray from lack of air. Sasuke didn't even get halfway in on the first time, grinding the rest of his erection slowly . . . _painfully _in. He had to finally remove his hand from Naruto's neck and put it on his shoulder- finding a purchase to work against. There was blood now, but this was so violent Naruto couldn't tell if it was his or Sasuke's. He had to bite down on his lip to silence himself, not about to make the same mistake twice. Sasuke would get mad and start choking him again if he tried to struggle.

He made his body go limp, trying to make it go numb along with the rest of him. Naruto didn't feel any shame in relaxing his hips and spreading his legs to make it easier for Sasuke. It wasn't to speed things up; to distance himself from the fact that his best friend was actually raping him. It wasn't because there was no way to get free and he had just given up, because Naruto knew deep down in his heart that he could throw Sasuke off of him any time he wanted. It was just because Naruto wanted to make everything better for Sasuke. He was still trying to get the depressing guy to smile again, not quietly smirk to himself.

If Naruto thought about it like that, this was no different from the many other times he had tried to make Sasuke laugh, from practical jokes to Naruto purposely falling down because it seemed to amuse Sasuke at times. He always played the clumsy idiot before, hurting himself because of it. This time, things were a little more direct. If Sasuke wanted a willing victim, Naruto would become one. It was easy to do anything, if it was for Sasuke . . . who didn't seem to care one damn bit about what was going on in his head. Sasuke was trying to prove a point, though Naruto couldn't possibly guess what it was at this point. He didn't really care, not when Sasuke was finally making love to him.

He got his fists to unclench, lifting his arms off of the floor and daring to put them around Sasuke's neck. Despite everything, Naruto was simply heavier than Sasuke was. He easily dragged Sasuke down, pulling him deeper inside himself. Muscles were twitching, instinctively to resist the motion as Sasuke's erection forced apart inner skin and organs. There was nothing but a slow, dry, burning friction until something finally ripped. The rest of Sasuke's length was in, warm balls crushed up against his buttocks as hot, sticky blood began to dribble out between them.

Naruto had to scream, seeing nothing but white, unable to sense anything beyond Sasuke filling him up to a bursting point. It didn't feel good at all- and for one dark moment Naruto wondered if this was what it had felt like for Sasuke when they had been together before . . . but, when their positions had been reversed, Naruto had tried going slow for Sasuke's sake despite the black-haired boy denying it had hurt at all. No wonder he had been clenching his eyes closed and biting down on his lower lip the whole time. Sasuke had managed not to sound like someone was trying to murder him, so Naruto could at least do the same.

He concentrated on biting his tongue behind his lips- not hard enough to actually cut through and end up bleeding to death, just forcefully enough that he could stop every noise that wanted come out of his throat. Naruto was determined to be mute, no longer caring how his body jerked around underneath Sasuke. If he could just accomplish this one simple thing, maybe Sasuke would still recognize him as a friend at the end of all this.

It seemed like it had lasted forever; Sasuke pounding into him with a slow, meticulous beat, slamming the air out of him on entry and pulling out blood with he withdrew . . . on the verge of falling out, nothing but the rounded head of his penis stuck around the ring of muscle that refused to open any further . . . than doing it all over again.

Somehow, years later, Sasuke finally came. He ejaculated hard enough to shoot through Naruto's lower intestines, until he could feel the hot waste in the bottom of his stomach. Sasuke was immediately pushing away from him, tossing Naruto's legs away in his rushed retreat.

All he had to do was zip up the front of his pants while Naruto lay there motionlessly. He hadn't been aroused once; his genitals still hanging limp over his bloody ass. More bruises were coming in on his face, all over his body, beginning to appear on his heart as well. Sasuke wasn't saying anything, looking away from Naruto as if he might actually feel guilty . . .

. . . but, that could never be the case with this arrogant Uchiha.

Sasuke was probably disappointed in him- for Naruto having such a big mouth and boasting about how they were rivals when he couldn't even handle being on the receiving end. It did feel strange; to have his trust betrayed so thoroughly by Sasuke. Here was the one person that Naruto thought he could actually trust his life with- beating him within an inch of losing that life. Naruto was finding it tough to keep both eyes open, to continue breathing when Sasuke finally managed to stand up. His very soul was shaking; sensing that the other boy was about to do something terrible. The odd, muted stillness that had taken over the room was only growing louder, like Naruto was going to suffocate underneath the pressure.

"_Goodbye, Naruto,_" Sasuke whispered it, just the low sound of his voice and the motions his lips were making enough to understand.

He was gone before Naruto had time to recover, leaving the door open in his wake.

Naruto couldn't escape from the numbness he'd fallen into.

He couldn't believe Sasuke had actually left.

Sasuke had really meant his farewell.

He was going to be alone again.

He'd done something wrong.

He'd failed, again.

Naruto couldn't even cry if he wanted to. He had already used up all his tears long ago in his childhood, when he suffered every moment of the day. Naruto knew how to harden himself up, to keep anything from hurting him, to put a shield in place that protected him from the raw hatred he experienced everyday from his fellow villagers. It left him empty and hollow inside, everything going toward keeping his outward appearance in place. A ninja must never show his emotions, no matter what the situation. Even if Naruto had an awful, nauseating feeling he might not ever see Sasuke again.

He would not cry.

* * *

Iruka sighed heavily, not sure why he couldn't fall asleep. The night was coming into the morning hours, even though it was still dark outside. He was already comfortably in bed, warm underneath the covers and pressed up against the heat of another person. He should be able to completely relax, but his mind was keeping him up with restless thoughts. Things he had to do tomorrow, the students that were having trouble this year, if Naruto was away on a mission or not. It seemed like a long time since he'd been able to talk to the boy, and it was beginning to bother him. Of course, so were a hundred other little nuances of life, otherwise he wouldn't be awake right now.

Next to him, Kakashi had no problem with sleeping. He was snoring with his mouth open, the trace marks of drool running down his chin. It was amazing that the notorious Copy Ninja could rest so peacefully, utterly defenseless as he murmured something incomprehensible, a part of whatever dream he was having. It was a rare day when the man even lowered his facemask, much less get naked in front of another person. There were exceptions to the rule of course, especially behind locked doors and on top of tangled bed sheets.

Iruka smirked to himself, lightly running his finger across Kakashi's collarbone. They had already made love . . . _twice_, technically, if he counted when the bastard had used Iruka's already spent body for his own pleasure. He hadn't been very aware for that part, lying about in a sleepy daze for an indefinite amount of time until he'd woken himself up with anxious, unfocused thoughts.

He wouldn't wake Kakashi up to talk about his worries, finding enough comfort in nuzzling up against the man's neck. He could be more affectionate now, when he knew Kakashi was totally senseless and wouldn't say something stupid. He didn't seem to realize how his teasing could completely kill a mood, despite having that damn Sharingan for a left eye. At least when he was asleep, Iruka could- . . .

. . .- jump up onto Kakashi's stomach when an unexpected thud echoed through his apartment. That was enough to wake up the other man, instantly alert and serious as he put a hand on Iruka's shoulder.

They both waited in trained silence, everything confirmed with the strange noise continued. Except now, Iruka was aware enough to determine that it was coming from his door. It couldn't be anyone knocking, far too late into the night for a visitor from visitors; and the scratching, thudding echoes didn't sound like anything human at all.

Kakashi was the first to start for the door, grabbing a pillow to hold in front of his groin. Iruka was treated to the sight of that bare, white ass jiggling as Kakashi crossed the room and went for the hallway without another word. At least he had the sense to grab up one of the loose sheets and wrap it around his waist before running out to meet the could-be enemy.

Iruka was there by the time Kakashi opened up the door, the scars along his back making a dangerous path down to bare buttocks. _Really_, he should have done something about the back as well as the front before greeting anyone at the door. Iruka didn't want to get a bad reputation in this apartment buildi- . . .

All of those frivolous thoughts finally left Iruka's head when Kakashi was suddenly blasted off of his feet like a giant fist had just swept him aside. He left an imprint in the wall, choking aloud before visibly going unconscious. The man slid down to the floor in a shockingly limp form, so easily defeated that Iruka wasn't sure if this could be part of a dream or not.

He glanced up at the doorway, expecting some sort of monster out for blood . . . and was sorely disappointed at the lack of _anything_, just Kakashi moaning on the floor with blood beginning to dribble down from his mouth.

A small weight hit Iruka in the stomach. He looked down to see a familiar blonde head, a short figure that seemed intent on burying itself inside the body it was pressed against.

"Naruto." Iruka put his arms around the boy, finally getting his feet to stop grinding into the floor. He couldn't even believe that the short, clumsy, ramen-crazy fool had even managed to land a hit on Kakashi . . . much less knock the man unconscious with the first blow. Naruto simply wasn't capable of that kind of violence against his teachers- the very few people in the village that recognized Naruto as something other than the carrier of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox. But, the boy looked upset right now, shoulders trembling as if he was trying to hold something back. Iruka couldn't only hope that the seal was in place, that Kakashi would be able to recover after that hit, that Naruto wouldn't become unstable enough to go crazy in the middle of his hallway . . .

The blonde head dug in further to Iruka's chest, arms clenching around his sides painfully as Naruto tried to crawl up inside him. He was immediately aware of a distinctively warm wetness against his stomach, legs, and hands. Iruka only had to lift an arm up to see that it was splattered in blood from simply touching the boy, slowly becoming aware of the stains all over Naruto's clothes. It was still warm, meaning the wounds were recent. The boy had been beaten, _hard_, and Iruka couldn't even imagine how it might have happened.

"Naruto," Iruka demanded, louder this time as he gave Naruto a light shake to get his attention. There was no response as the boy's arms tightened hard enough to make Iruka's ribs creak in protest. He had to push Naruto away then, hunching down so he could look the blonde straight in the face.

"Who did this to you?" Iruka tried to get an explanation out of Naruto, but all he got was a vacant stare in return. There was no sign of response . . . not even the slightest bit of light was being reflected back from Naruto's eyes. Iruka had seen this kind of gaze before, but it usually belonged to dead men. That irrepressible cheerfulness and arrogance that Naruto typically extruded was gone without a trace, leaving nothing but an empty shell. One that was dangerous enough to take out a Jounin single-handedly, from how Kakashi was still lying on the floor.

How this had even happened was beyond Iruka. He couldn't think of the person that would be able to survive through pushing Naruto this far. It was a damn miracle that the seal on Naruto's stomach hadn't broken yet, when there had obviously been deep psychological damage, as well as the fact that Naruto looked like he'd been caught by a pack of wild dogs.

"Sa- . . . Sasuke left," Naruto whispered out with such hollow finality that Iruka could tell it was much more serious than a simple fight. There was too much blood for two teenaged boys- they may be inexperienced and emotional, but things couldn't have escalated to the point where Naruto was about to pass out from blood loss. Something serious had happened, but Naruto didn't look like he was any shape to properly explain things. All Iruka could do was put a hand on top of Naruto's head, smoothing back sweaty and blood-crusted hair in a pathetic attempt to comfort the boy.

Just that motion seemed to be enough, because a tear finally welled up and spilled over Naruto's cheek. It was the first emotion he had shown since walking in the door, despite already beating Kakashi unconscious. Iruka didn't know what else to do beyond hug the poor, lonely soul that had wandered in. He could feel Naruto's breath hitch against his chest, close enough to hear the boy's heartbeat jump at the sudden contact. Small hands buried themselves in the bed sheet Iruka's had wrapped around himself, not so intent squeezing the life out of him anymore . . . just a needy, abused student hopelessly searching for _anyone_ who would give a damn.

Iruka could remember the times in his childhood when he had been alone, his parents slaughtered by the Nine-Tails Demon Fox. When he had cried every day in front of the monument for all the lives that had been lost. There had been so many corpses- hundreds of dismembered parts scattered about on top of each other that there was no way to sort everything out. The village had been a mass funeral, burning away the remains of so many Shinobi- along with any private, individual graves. Iruka always had to go to the memorial to pay his respects, always had to deal with the other people who came to do the same- except everyone else seemed able to hold their emotion in so much better. The other survivors could smile and carry on even though they had lost precious family and friends while Iruka sobbed without abandon. He would forget his pride, the honor of a ninja, the rule that a true Shinobi could never show his emotions- just so terribly alone. He remembered how badly he had wanted someone to hold him, just like the parents did for his fellow peers after school. Despite those terribly dark and depressing moments Iruka had during his childhood, he'd been lucky enough to make friends that could support him along the way. He probably would have been lost long ago, turning into a broken and twisted person like Mizuki, without his few close friends. As for Naruto . . .

The vessel of the Demon Fox that had nearly destroyed the village would never be truly accepted. Even Naruto's spectacular fight during the Chuunin exams wasn't enough to change everyone's minds, though the number of people that vandalized Naruto's apartment had gone down a bit afterward. Nobody seemed able to make the distinction between the monster and the completely separate personality of the body that held the two of them. Naruto was complex to explain, much harder to comprehend, but Iruka had sworn to try.

* * *

Kakashi woke up with what felt like the worst hangover ever. What was even worse was the fact that he was naked, sprawled out in the hallway like someone had actually gotten the better of the infamous Copy Ninja. He blearily noticed an open door and kicked it closed angrily, disorientated, frustrated, and not quiet sure how he had even ended up here. It was all Iruka's fault, since that bastard always had a way of slithering up inside and getting a man to drop his guard. Kakashi had ended up with the painful, warm throb of new bruises and lost several minutes of his life because of it. No matter _how _good the sex was, Kakashi couldn't afford to lose his control like this. He didn't want to wake up exposed and vulnerable on the floor every morning.

It took a few moments of lying in a daze to gather up his senses. He started to notice the crumpling indent on the wall above him . . . piecing together a broken path of memories until he finally recalled answering the door. It had been Naruto, of all people, and the brat had been emotionally unstable- enough for the seal on the Nine-Tails Demon Fox to shake. That was the only way Kakashi could explain that explosive power that had decked him to the floor in one blow. He still wasn't even sure exactly where Naruto had hit him, his whole side throbbing with one massive bruise. That sort of barbaric strength simply wasn't human . . .

Kakashi realized at last that after he had been knocked out, Naruto must have passed by him and into the apartment. Iruka was a damn idiot sometimes with his sympathy and naïve belief in other people. Not that Kakashi didn't love the bastard for it, but he wasn't about to see his lover killed. Naruto was dangerous when that monster inside him began to leak out- always ready to overwhelm it's vessel and become the personality in control.

"Iruka!" Kakashi barked out the other man's name, managing to surge up from the floor and find his feet again. He didn't doubt for a moment that Naruto could be consumed by the Demon Fox's bloodlust and kill anyone in his path. The small part of the boy that would actually recognize his comrades and teachers would be repressed and that terrible youkai would have revenge on the village . . .

"Iruka! Answer me, damn it!" He demanded, not about to admit how the silence bothered him. He didn't care if he didn't have any clothes on right now, just determined to see if Naruto was still here- if he had dismembered Iruka in some horrific way because the Nine-Tails Demon Fox had taken over. Kakashi kept himself from shivering in revulsion, not about to _feel _something just because another lover might be dead. He had dealt with these losses before . . . so there was no reason for his stomach to be tightening up or for his eyes to be burning with moisture that could just actually be tears . . .

"Iru- . . ."

"_Damn it, Hatake! I heard you the first time!" _Came a familiar if hushed and impatient hiss. Iruka emerged from the bathroom, completely whole and unscratched. Kakashi wondered if he could have just been caught up in a nightmare, not even realizing that he was awake until his body had already reacted. He had trained so hard that his muscles knew what to do if his brain couldn't think. Now that he had finally caught up with the heat of the moment, Kakashi was left staring in a stupor at his alive, if irritated lover.

Iruka was so normal looking that it made him all the more amazing. His hair was loose, longer than one would expect as it drifted down over well-made shoulders. Usually the scar across Iruka's nose was the only visible sign the man had ever been in actual combat, but when he was just wearing a pair of loose pants all the scars above his waist were exposed. There was no ninja who didn't have a mark somewhere from a well-aimed attack or an outright plain mistake. Some of the puckered lines along Iruka's shoulders and ribs had a dotted pattern around the edge from the stitching that had once held that skin together. It was hard to think about all the times they had both been near death and left with the scars to prove it.

After an irrepressible moment of appreciation for Iruka's body, Kakashi managed to confirm that none of it was new. He finally noticed the small shadow that was attached to Iruka's side . . . flat, wet hair and cold, distant, _lonely _eyes almost unrecognizable.

Kakashi had never seen Naruto with that sort of look on his face before, so utterly quiet. He had watched the young Genin mature to a promising student and a reliable ninja through some of the most extreme missions. Even when the three members of his team had been unable to hide the fact they thought they might be killed and just wanted to run away- before they all had learn to stifle that instinctual fear and become truly strong- Naruto had never seemed so intense. The boy wasn't even saying anything and Kakashi could taste his loneliness in the air, like a wild animal that had been abused by every presence it had ever met.

"All right, you two quit that out," Iruka broke the spell, shifting in front of Naruto.

"I'm going to take care of Naruto for now while _you're _going to get some clothes on," Iruka made it an absolute order, his gaze pinning Kakashi down. There was a reason why the man was a teacher. He could make a person feel guilty as all hell as if it were easy, and the biggest hurt was knowing that he was disappointed in you. It made Kakashi uncomfortable to imagine the effect Iruka could have on small children.

He could only stand aside to allow the other man down the hall, turning his hips so at least his groin could be out of direct sight. It probably didn't even matter in Naruto's current state. Kakashi began taking in the bandages on the boy's face and along his arms . . . even a few scattered down bare legs and feet. Naruto only had on a large, black shirt that had too be Iruka's; shakily taking the man's hand when it was offered to him and allowing himself to be lead forward. The two of them resembled a father and son for a moment, forcing Kakashi to be silent as they passed by.

A door was softly closed, leaving Kakashi to slap a hand over his face. He could only hope that Naruto was messed up enough to not remember what he really looked like. And, he felt guilty at the same time for even considering such. He shouldn't be _glad _that another one of his students was wavering toward insanity. Sasuke was already a handful with his little head full of revenge. The boy didn't consider anyone else or the consequences his actions could have, completely selfish and arrogant . . . but even Sasuke's worst case of sarcastic back-talk was nothing compared to the total desolation Kakashi had seen in Naruto's eyes.

It was the look of a person that had given up all hope long ago. Naruto was far too young to be so jaded and apathetic- but what else was he, other than the container for a terrible demon that had nearly destroyed the entire village.

Iruka had discussed it before, swearing that Naruto was different from the Nine-Tails Demon Fox that was sealed inside him. Kakashi somewhat believed the man, having seen Naruto mindlessly jump into a fight time and time again just because his teammates were in trouble. Sasuke was more than capable of taking care of himself and Sakura could be quite dangerous if she actually got angry, though that was rare. Naruto certainly wasn't a monster if he almost _always _got injured on missions because of his own stupid, over-protectiveness of other people.

Kakashi had just assumed it was because of Naruto's excessive healing ability- due to the evil chakra of the demon inside him. Only now did he realize that it was because Naruto simply didn't care if he died. To be without companions would be worse for him. Kakashi had seen how tightly Naruto had held onto Iruka's hand. The man had been smiling like nothing was wrong while Naruto squeezed his fingers hard enough to make the skin go blue all the way up to the wrist.

There would be bruises tomorrow morning, but Kakashi doubted he'd ever get the whole story. He slowly moved toward the small living room that better served as Iruka's storage space. At least there was a couch large enough for two people to sit comfortably. Kakashi knew from experience it could be a little bit dangerous to try lying down across the short length of the furniture- either one had to fold in half or hang out over the edges of the arms.

He found his pants strewn over the coffee table with the belt still inside the loops around the waist. Iruka wasn't necessarily the cleanest of people, and it was hard to keep up with the mess their lovemaking had left behind. They hadn't seen each other in several days, both of them ordered off to different missions that didn't allow any time for personal affairs.

Konoha was in a true crisis after Orochimaru's attack, the late Hokage's missing presence growing more apparent by the day. They had to maintain outward appearances while the village crumbled away with all the lives that had been lost. Kakashi made no attempt to guess at what the future might be for his home village. He would just listen to orders and obey them . . . except on the few evening when he actually got a night off.

_Then _Kakashi could rip at clothes and bust stitches in his desperation to get to the skin underneath. Iruka could actually settle him down, allow Kakashi the security to ease his constant defenses. He made a fist inside the fabric of his pants, frustrated at his foolishly relaxed attitude. That was the only reason why Naruto had managed to get the best of him. Kakashi would easily blame it all on Iruka – if he didn't still have the smell of the man on his body, in his hair. He'd be a liar if he said Iruka wasn't a good kisser. The normally docile and polite man could become aggressive and do things with his tongue that _still _made Kakashi see double.

There was no need for words between them. Not when Iruka could keep both their mouths so busy that Kakashi had felt his knees buckle. Iruka went down with him, the two of them landing in a controlled slide to the floor. They were both too well trained to fall, able to slip completely out of uniforms in a matter of seconds.

Iruka was one of the few people actually allowed to see his entire face and live to talk about it. Kakashi could trust him, something that was very rare. Iruka hadn't asked once about his own terrible scars or the tattoos that could only be used for Forbidden Jutsu- remnants of when he had been young and stupid. Those things weren't important to the man, not when they didn't know when they might get a chance to meet again. There wasn't even time to feel embarrassed about the fact that they were both naked, grappling about on the floor like horny teenagers. Kakashi just liked the taste of Iruka's mouth, the surging of his chest against his own, how easily that ring of muscle gave when Kakashi pushed up hard insid- . . .

He recovered from his own helpless flashback, finally pulling himself into a pair of pants. Kakashi found the hard body mesh he wore underneath his clothes like all Shinobi did . . . hesitating for a moment before he brushed the deceptively light armor aside. Iruka had already managed to calm Naruto down from whatever rage had taken over him. Kakashi didn't feel the threatening presence of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox beginning to leak out from Naruto's seal anymore. In fact, it just looked like someone had beat the utter crap out of the boy, judging from the bandages Iruka had applied.

Kakashi could only think of one person that could have made this kind of damage, teeth clenching as he wondered just what the hell was going on with Sasuke _now_. Iruka might accuse him of playing favorites, echoing Naruto and Sakura's voices . . . but it was because Sasuke was so fucking high-maintenance. Kakashi had never met someone so young that was _so _hollow inside, having no thoughts of anything but his personal vendetta. He had to tail Sasuke home a few times just because he honestly suspected the boy might try to kill himself.

He had to admit things had gotten better once Naruto finally managed to get close to Sasuke; something no one else in the village had been able to do since the Uchiha clan had been completely eliminated. Kakashi wasn't sure how Naruto had done it, merging their two completely opposite personalities together so well. At the true core of it all, Kakashi suspected that it was just because those two had both been alone for so long. Desperate souls easily reached out to each other, but Naruto and Sasuke had made their relationship something deeper than that.

Kakashi really didn't like to think about these things. They were still his students, the very first he'd ever had. He couldn't help but get attached, wanting to make everything go smoothly between his team. It seemed that dream was beginning to fall apart, if Sasuke and Naruto had been seriously fighting. Kakashi couldn't think of anyone else in Konoha that would be able to do so much damage without causing a scene, especially to someone was notoriously _loud _as Naruto was.

Torn between which student should take priority, Kakashi forgot that he had even been trying to dress in the first place. He pulled on the pants that were still in his hands, checking around the room for his shirt. After bending down to look underneath the furniture for it, Kakashi just gave up. He was adequately decent and he wouldn't listen to any complaints.

Finished at last, Kakashi made his way down the hall and into the bedroom without any more delay. The lights were still off, but Kakashi could make out the figures in the bed . . . and a sheet that had been tossed to the floor. He grimaced; realizing it must have been from when they had actually made it to the bed later on in the night. Kakashi hadn't minded lying about in their own bodily fluids, not when they were both naked and Iruka's skin somehow managed to be so warm when he pressed his own against it. There wasn't another living soul that knew Hatake Kakashi was a cuddlier.

"So, what's going on?" Kakashi asked in a quiet voice as he pulled up the covers that were still left on the bed. Sure enough, Iruka was already raising a finger up for silence; his other hand resting over a small body that was desperately trying to borrow its way into the mattress. Kakashi ignored Iruka's warning hiss as he climbed into the bed, keeping Naruto between them as he lay down.

"Well?" Kakashi demanded again, rolling onto his side to look Iruka in the face. The man only frowned before pulling the sheets back over the shaking blonde, his protective nature stirred up and roaring to life.

"Naruto doesn't want to talk about it any more. I'll tell you later," Iruka explained curtly, as if _he _couldn't be trusted. Kakashi was now the kid's current teacher- not some Chuunin still stuck teaching the youngest classes in all of Konoha. It wasn't because the stubborn bastard was actually good with children. Iruka just cared too damn much about other people, unable to draw the line between mere acquaintances and substitute family members. The man was looking for someone to fill the void that his parents' death had left in his life, extending himself out to anyone who could somehow fulfill that expectation. It had made Iruka a very compassionate man- which also ended up being his greatest flaw.

There was no denying that Naruto was seriously injured and deserved every bit of attention . . . but Kakashi couldn't stop that small, bitter part of himself that was jealous. It might be selfish on his half, especially since he was an adult and Naruto was a mere child, but Iruka didn't ever _snuggle_ like this. He was usually a bit more aggressive . . . not that Kakashi minded that part either, but sometimes a man could want a change of pace.

"He'll heal by himself before the morning. You didn't need to put bandages on him," Kakashi returned, keeping his voice low. He was certain that Naruto was in no state to eavesdrop on them, withdrawing into mild shock now that Iruka had calmed him down. He still regretted the comment immediately when Iruka shot him a look that promised certain death if Kakashi said another word.

"Someone needs to take care of him," Iruka whispered bitterly, frowning down at the Genin hiding in his bed. Kakashi would have tried to get some answers first, not so accustomed to coddling as Iruka was. He thought it was better for his students to wrestle with their own emotions themselves, dealing with their unique situations in their different ways. Even Sakura had begun to mature and develop into a promising taction, though she was very likely the most spoiled of them all. Sakura still lived at home with her parents, a mind-boggling difference that couldn't really be explained. Sasuke was always toeing the borderline of self-destruction while Naruto managed to march around without a care, screaming about becoming Hokage. Between the two, Kakashi had always worried about Sasuke more . . . and now he was beginning to regret that decision when he saw how Naruto clung to Iruka underneath the bedcovers.

Kakashi took a deep breath, centering himself and forcing out those other useless worries. Sasuke would show up in a few days like he usually did after having another one of his tantrums, reeking of wounded pride and sour arrogance, not about to explain his sudden change in mood to anyone else. Sasuke didn't usually leave victims though, beyond the few poor trees he would destroy with his brutal training. Naruto was a fast healer, but the visible bruises and cuts were serious enough to cause concern. Maybe Iruka had been right in bandaging the noisy little brat . . . certainly when Naruto was so completely out of it.

He put a hand on top of the lump Naruto made in the bed, rubbing a shoulder affectionately. He couldn't offer any pretty words. Kakashi didn't know how to deal with kids when they were like this, or any one else for that matter. He could follow Iruka's lead, awkwardly trying to console Naruto without breaking whatever kind of moment the two had made between each other. While he might not appear as emotionally fragile as Sasuke, Naruto could still get his heart hurt. As the boy's teachers, it was their duty to look after him.

Kakashi could only hope that things would look better tomorrow after a night's rest . . . that was if he'd even be able to sleep after such a disturbance.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Dear lord, I haven't had a finished chapter in ages! When I finally got a winter break, I decided Naruto was the closest thing to being done and here we are. Thank you so much to everyone who supported (and also threatened death, which is creepy) me to write more! I look on the review page when I need the last-minute ego-boost to get this written pornography out.

Of course, some other people look at this before it gets shown to the public too. I'd like to thank Iie Nome for once again helping with beta-ing, as well as the newbie Ninjachick212 for offering services as well!

AFTER-NOTE: I can't believe STILL hasn't torn this down yet. They did it to everything else . . .


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